Southampton look to have suffered another transfer blow in their hopes of signing some defensive cover before the transfer window shuts, as Japhet Tanganga is now set to stay with Tottenham Hotspur, according to Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have already missed out on Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles after unsuccessful negotiations with the 23-year-old and turned their attention to the Spurs defender instead.

The 21-year-old established himself in Jose Mourinho's first-team squad last season, making seven appearances in all competitions, including six in the Premier League.

However, he has failed to make a single appearance in the top-flight so far this season, so it was no surprise to him touted with a move away, and he could've been an excellent addition to the Saints squad, considering their current lack of defensive options.

Young left-back Jake Vokins left for Sunderland on loan earlier in the window, whilst Yan Valery looks to be out-of-favour under Hasenhuttl, despite the recent injury to fellow right-back Kyle Walker-Peters.

Therefore, signing someone such as Tanganga, who has featured across the defence during his time with Spurs, could have been an excellent solution for Southampton, as their Premier League form has suffered as a result of their injury problems in recent weeks.

Saints were heavily linked earlier today but a deal for the Spurs centre-back now looks to be off, as, according to Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick, Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to keep the defender, who reportedly earns £23k per week, at the North London club.

This is undoubtedly a huge blow for Hasenhuttl, as the Austrian is clearly desperate to add some defenders to his squad before the transfer deadline, and he is now running out of time to bring reinforcements in before the 11 pm deadline.

And, in other news... Southampton transfer call on 23 y/o is baffling for two key reasons; he could've helped Ralph