Southampton have been linked with a move for Inter defender Andreaw Gravillon ahead of the summer transfer window and the Frenchman could be the man to solve a key issue in Ralph Hasenhuttl's defence next season.
According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Southampton, Leicester City and Crystal Palace are all keen on the 23-year-old after his impressive performances on loan at FC Lorient this season.
Gravillon was a mainstay in Christophe Pélissier's side for the second half of the season as they narrowly avoided relegation to Ligue 2, with the youngster making 26 appearances in the French top-flight, contributing two goals and two assists, which helped him average a solid 6.66 rating from WhoScored.
It certainly seems likely that the defender will depart Inter permanently this summer after spending the last few seasons out on loan, as he said recently:
“Once the season is over, we will see with my agents whether we should stay in Lorient, return to Inter, go elsewhere."
Considering the French defender is yet to make a first-team appearance at Inter, and the Italian side are reportedly desperate to raise funds this summer, it seems extremely likely that Gravillon will depart, and Southampton could be the team to take advantage.
Only West Brom conceded more goals than Southampton in the top-flight this summer, so it seems clear that Hasenhuttl must focus on adding defensive reinforcements to his side ahead of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.
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The right-back position was a bit of a disaster for the Saints at times last season. They looked particularly vulnerable in that area when Kyle Walker-Peters was sidelined through injury, with the likes of Jan Bednarek, James Ward-Prowse and Moussa Djenepo all featuring at right-back due to a lack of depth at that position.
Back up right-back Yan Valery was loaned out to Birmingham City in January and his lack of appearances in the Championship does little to suggest that he will return and re-establish himself as part of Hasenhuttl's squad ahead of next season.
Therefore, the signing of Gravillon could be perfect for the Austrian, as he has featured as both a centre-back and a right-back in his career, so could fill in for Walker-Peters should the former Spurs man miss any games next season.
The Frenchman's £4.5m value also fits in with Southampton's transfer model of targeting players under £10m this summer, so this seems like a very logical deal for the Saints to complete if they want to improve on their defence ahead of next season.
And, in other news... Semmens should overrule crazy Hasenhuttl decision and swoop for £8.1m-rated beast