Southampton have been linked with a move for Chelsea centre-back Marc Guehi recently and he could prove to be the man to replace Jannik Vestergaard in Ralph Hasenhuttl's side next season.

According to The Athletic, Southampton are interested in the England under-21 international after his impressive performances on loan with Swansea City this season.

Vestergaard, meanwhile, has been heavily linked with a summer move to Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks - and if the influential Danish international were to depart, then perhaps the Saints' interest in Guehi would intensify.

The 20-year-old joined the Swans on loan for the second successive season last summer and has been an important part of Steve Cooper's side's promotion push this term, making 34 appearances and averaging a solid 6.90 WhoScored rating for his performances.

The £5.4m-rated defender was heavily praised by England under-21 international team-mate Josef Bursik earlier in the season when he was asked to name the strongest player in the squad, saying: "Marc Guehi. He’s an absolute tank. It’s like having a brick wall in front of you, he’s massive.”

The Swans have conceded just 31 times this term in the Championship, the third-best record in the division, so it is no surprise that Guehi is attracting interest ahead of next season.

Signing the centre-back on loan from Chelsea would potentially be an option for Hasenhuttl and perhaps the Saints could complete a deal similar to the Kyle Walker-Peters transfer, where an impressive loan spell led to him joining permanently.

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Although Vestergaard has a significant height advantage on Guehi, standing at 1.99m (6 foot 6), compared to Guehi's 1.82m (6ft) frame, the Swansea man has still emphasised his quality in the air this season.

In the 2020/21 Championship, he has averaged 3.4 aerial duels won per game, compared to the 3.6 aerials won by Vestergaard, so the young Englishman can clearly pose a threat in the air.

He has also averaged the same number of tackles per game as Vestergaard (1.6), whilst he narrowly trails the former Borussia Monchengladbach defender when it comes to interceptions, with 1.5 compared to the Southampton man's 1.6.

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Therefore, it seems as if Guehi's stats are very similar to Vestergaard's, and if the Dane does leave St Mary's this summer, then the 20-year-old could be an excellent long-term replacement in Hasenhuttl's squad.

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