Southampton have been linked with a move for Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy recently, and considering his impressive recent form, it seems as if he could be a solid addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl's side this summer.

What's the word?

According to Football Insider, both Rangers and Southampton are interested in signing the 26-year-old ahead of next season and will have to pay around £3m for his services.

Murphy's contract at St James' Park is reportedly set to expire at the end of the season and there are a lot of factors still to be decided before his future at Newcastle becomes clear, including whether or not Steve Bruce remains in charge and if they can avoid relegation to the Championship.

Would he be a good signing?

Whilst Murphy has always been an impressive winger at Championship level, producing excellent displays in the second tier with the likes of Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday in the past, he has never really been able to replicate those performances and goal contributions in the top flight.

In 53 Premier League appearances, he has managed just three goals and four assists, which doesn't bode well when you consider that the majority of the wingers in Hasenhuttl's squad have struggled to provide goal contributions this season.

However, the Englishman has been deployed in a right wing-back role by Bruce in recent weeks and has produced some excellent displays, impressing against Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, with one goal and one assist in those three appearances.

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This opens up a new possibility for Hasenhuttl, as the Austrian has openly admitted that Southampton need cover at full-back ahead of next season, so perhaps Murphy could be a solid backup option for Kyle Walker-Peters in 2021/22 should he make the move to St Mary's this summer.

The former RB Leipzig boss also suggested that Southampton would be looking to complete deals below £10m, so the Murphy transfer would make a lot of sense if his reported asking price is accurate.

Earlier in the season, former Leeds United man Noel Whelan was full of praise for the Newcastle ace, saying: “Murphy is a player with so much ability. He was brought to that club to run, be direct, use that pace and skill that he has with the ball at his feet and now he seems to be doing it."

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Therefore, Murphy's versatility, low asking price and homegrown status all mark him out as a solid option for Hasenhuttl this summer, so Martin Semmens should definitely try and bring him to St Mary's.

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