A Southampton player dubbed a "monster" appears to be closing in on a move away from St Mary's Stadium this summer, according to an update from Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Southampton transfer news
It is now less than a week until the Saints get their Premier League season up and running as they look to avoid a quickfire return to the Championship come next May. It has been a positive summer when it comes to new signings, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes arriving on permanent deals from Manchester City and West Ham respectively, along with the return of Adam Lallana, among other additions.
That doesn't mean that others aren't being linked with summer moves to Southampton, and they have reportedly made an effort to sign Feyenoord defender Ferdi Kadioglu. He impressed for Turkey at Euro 2024, shining from his preferred left-back role, and he could give Russell Martin quality at both ends of the pitch.
Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp has also been mentioned as a possible target for Saints, potentially coming in as an ideal partner for Downes in the middle of the park. The Englishman may not be viewed as a key player by Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, which could pave the way for him to seal a move to St Mary's.
Away from incomings, a summer exit now looks set to be sealed, following a key development at the south coast club.
Southampton "monster" closing in on exit
According to Plettenberg on X, Armel Bella-Kotchap is close to sealing a move from Southampton to Hoffenheim, with "very concrete" talks taking place and personal terms being no issue for the Bundesliga club:
Losing Bella-Kotchap is a blow for Southampton given the ability he has, with former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl once saying of him: "He’s a one-on-one monster. Very strong in one-on-one situations and he’s very fast. You can defend well with him. He plays good passes into the final third, even over longer distances. [But] his heading game can be improved [when attacking corners]."
In truth, it could be argued that Bella-Kotchap is destined to play at a higher level, with the 22-year-old spending last season on loan at Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, albeit having only turned out four times for them after being struck down by injury early in the campaign.
In any case, a move back to Germany could appeal to the 2-cap international ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
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Instead, it is now a case of Southampton cashing in on Bella-Kotchap and using the funds on more signings ahead of the new season, giving Martin and his side the best possible chance of staying up.