Southampton have recently been linked with a move for Metz centre-back Boubakar Kouyate and if he were to arrive at St Mary's this summer, it could prove to be the catalyst for Jannik Vestergaard departing.

According to French news outlet L'Equipe (via Pink Un), both Norwich City and Southampton are considering a move for the 24-year-old after his impressive debut season with Metz.

The likes of AS Roma and Atalanta are also said to be interested in the young defender, so it seems likely that he could depart Les Grenats this summer.

Since signing from ES Troyes AC in the summer, Kouyate has gone on to make 26 appearances for his new side, contributing one goal.

Across his 23 appearances in Ligue 1, the Mali international has averaged a superb 7.14 rating for his performances, the joint third-best of any Metz player in the French top-flight so far this season, so it is easy to see why he is attracting so much interest.

If the £4.5m-rated defender were to join Hasenhuttl's side this summer, then you would imagine he would potentially arrive as the replacement for Vestergaard in the Southampton team.

The Danish international has been linked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Roma and Juventus in recent weeks and considering his contract is set to expire at the end of next season, it is looking more and more likely that he won't be at St Mary's past this summer.

Therefore, Martin Semmens needs to start looking for replacements for the former Borussia Monchengladbach man and Kouyate could prove to be the ideal candidate.

The six-foot-three centre-back has averaged 3.8 aerials won per game in Ligue 1 this season, which remarkably is more than the 3.7 aerials won per game by Vestergaard.

He also outscores the 28-year-old defender when it comes to tackles per game (2.4 - 1.7), interceptions (2.4 - 1.5) and clearances (5.4 - 4.1), so it certainly seems as if he could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl's side.

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Kouyate can also operate as a right-back and as a defensive midfielder, so his versatility would definitely be appreciated by Hasenhuttl, so if Vestergaard does depart this summer, Semmens should definitely be looking to bring the Malian defender to Southampton.

And, in other news... Hasenhuttl suffers fresh Saints transfer blow over £18m gem with "great potential", he'll be gutted