[ad_pod ]

Per The Daily Star, Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton are involved in a six-way race to land exciting young Liverpool attacker Harry Wilson, who is ready to leave Anfield after a thrilling season of first-team football at Derby County.

The attacking midfielder couldn't quite fire his side to the Premier League but featured for the Rams in last Monday's playoff final, an eventual 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

Throughout the season, the 22-year-old bagged 16 goals and four assists in 43 Championship appearances, building upon the previous term's impressive haul of ten goal involvements from 13 games during a short stint with Hull City in the same division.

The Saints will battle it out with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion and Hertha Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt from the Bundesliga for the signature of the young Championship sensation.

But what do Football FanCast's writers think of Southampton's chase? Four of them share their thoughts below...

Ben Goodwin

"When you consider some of the fees that have been tossed around by Premier League sides in recent years, £25m for a 22 year-old with 20 goal involvements in 40 Championship starts this season is an absolute no-brainer. Ralph Hasenhuttl has turned Nathan Redmond, an exciting wide man with poor end product, into a new and improved, more clinical player. Just imagine what he’d do with Wilson, who already has the end product and is just missing the chance to put it all together consistently at the top level."

Billy Meyers

"If he becomes a realistic target for the Saints, then a swoop for Wilson wouldn't be a bad move. However, it definitely shouldn't be a priority signing. A goalscorer and a real colossus at centre-back is what Hasenhuttl's side need, not wasting £25m on an unproven youngster."

Southampton fans may love Ralph Hasenhuttl but do the owners? Check out the video below...

James Beavis

"You only need to take a quick look at Redmond's development this season to see the merits of Wilson moving to Southampton. Hasenhuttl is clearly a brilliant coach and there's no doubt he could turn the Liverpool academy product into another Redmond success story. He's blessed with all the attributes needed to thrive at the top level and with the right guidance he could be a valuable weapon for the Saints."

Christy Malyan

"I'm surprised Liverpool aren't intent on keeping Wilson. He's still got much to add to his game but his record in the Championship speaks for itself and surely the next stage for Jurgen Klopp's team is to start integrating more academy talents. With that in mind, he'd be a fantastic investment for Southampton, especially under the guidance of Hasenhuttl. Many have made the Redmond comparison already but I see Wilson almost as another James Ward-Prowse - someone the Saints boss can encourage a steely tenacity in to match the obvious flair and technical ability."