Southampton have been heavily linked with Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams ahead of the summer transfer window and his signing would surely lead to Yan Valery's time working under Ralph Hasenhuttl coming to an end.

Hampshire Live have suggested that Southampton and Norwich City will battle it out to sign the 21-year-old this summer as Hasenhuttl looks to add to his full-back options at St Mary's.

The Saints were very interested in signing the United academy graduate in January but a deal fell through after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided he wanted to keep him at Old Trafford. However, a move away could be on the cards this summer, as he is third-choice behind Luke Shaw and Alex Telles and managed just four Premier League appearances last season.

Described by Gary Lineker as an "exciting" talent, he could be an ideal option for the Austrian manager this summer, as he is desperately short of full-backs in his squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and Williams has featured as both a left-back and a right-back during his time with the Red Devils.

Whilst Romain Perraud looks set to arrive as Southampton's Ryan Bertrand replacement at left-back, Williams would still be a smart signing as he could provide cover for the Frenchman on the left and Kyle Walker-Peters on the right.

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This would leave little room for Valery in Southampton's squad, with the young Frenchman a player who has been touted for a permanent exit this summer after failing to impress Hasenhuttl during his time at the club.

Despite a lack of cover at right-back this season, the Austrian manager decided to send Valery out on loan to Birmingham City in the Championship, where he would manage just seven appearances despite the Blues' struggles in the lower half of the table. That certainly doesn't bode well for his future at Southampton.

Once a regular under Mark Hughes, the 22-year-old has failed to push on at Southampton following a promising start, with the Athletic journalist Dan Sheldon describing him as the "weak link" in Hasenhuttl's side last season.

Therefore, if Williams does arrive from Manchester United this summer, he will likely be back-up to Walker-Peters at right-back, which could allow Hasenhuttl to get rid of Valery for good.

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