According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer has confirmed his interest in signing RB Leipzig winger Oliver Burke this summer as he looks to bolster a squad that suffered a surprise 3-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Huddersfield Town on the opening day.
German publication Bild had previously reported that the German side, who will feature in the group stages of the Champions League after finishing second in the Bundesliga last term, are willing to listen to offers in the region of €18m (approximately £16.5m) for the 20-year-old with the Eagles listed as a potential destination.
Burke only moved to Leipzig from Championship side Nottingham Forest last August in a deal that was reported to be worth £13m at the time, but he could already be on his way back to England.
Meanwhile, Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino has seen two players arrive at St Mary’s so far this summer, and he could still bring in more before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.
Here are three reasons Southampton should hijack’s Palace’s move for Burke…
They need a wide forward
Aside from a centre-back as the Virgil van Dijk saga continues, if Pellegrino was to bring in one more signing before the transfer window slams shut it would probably be a winger, and preferably one that plays on the right flank.
With Jay Rodriguez leaving for West Bromwich Albion earlier in the summer Saints look to be short in wide/forward areas, and with Redmond settled on the left-hand side they have used the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long on the right of the preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, neither look particularly comfortable there and the Argentine boss may feel that Burke, who has primarily played on the right for Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig, could be the answer to the issue.
Ability
The 20-year-old quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the Championship during his time with Nottingham Forest, and he scored four goals and provided one assist in five Championship appearances before moving to RB Leipzig last August.
He showed his ability to take defenders on by successfully completing 17 of the 30 take-ons he attempted in those five outings, and while he struggled to become a first team regular for Leipzig last term – most of his appearances came from the substitutes' bench – the quality and promise is certainly there for all to see.
Despite his tender years, Burke has also picked up five caps for the Scotland national side to show just how highly-rated he is.
Price tag
The fact that Burke could be available for around £16.5m should mean that he is a realistic target for Southampton, who have often spent between £12m-£18m on new players over the course of the last couple of years – Sofiane Boufal, Mario Lemina and Manolo Gabbiadini are just a few examples.
Because he hasn’t been a regular starter for Leipzig, Saints will also be confident that they would be able to negotiate on that asking price if the German outfit really do want to sell the 20-year-old before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.