Former Southampton sporting director Les Reed has confirmed that Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans was once on the Saints' radar and judging by his superb performances with Leicester City in recent seasons, it seems clear that it was a poor decision by the South Coast club not to pursue their interest in the Belgian any further.
Reed revealed in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern that Tielemans was one of a number of current Leicester City players that was on Southampton's transfer radar during his time with the club.
The Belgium international initially joined the Foxes on loan in January 2019 and after an impressive second half of the season, he joined Brendan Rodgers' side in a club-record deal worth £40m.
In his time at the King Power Stadium, the 24-year-old has made 108 appearances, contributing 17 goals and 19 assists, which included a stunning effort in the FA Cup Final last season, whilst he has also established himself as a regular in Roberto Martinez's Belgium side.
His performances have reportedly caught the eye of Liverpool and the Merseyside club could make an approach for the 24-year-old in the current summer transfer window, especially after they pipped Leicester City to a Champions League spot in the Premier League last season.
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Therefore, it seems clear that Southampton should have worked harder to bring in Tielemans back when they were interested in him, as he could have been an excellent player for the South Coast club.
You could certainly argue that Tielemans has been just as good as Saints captain James Ward-Prowse last season, as his 7.09 average rating from WhoScored in the Premier League was slightly better than the Englishman's 7.07 average rating, and having two players of such quality in the middle of the park would have been brilliant for Southampton.
The Leicester City man would have been a superb signing by Southampton and fans should be frustrated that the club didn't do more to bring him to St Mary's back when they were interested in him.
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