Southampton ‘held talks’ with the representatives of Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo last week, according to The Athletic journalist Jacob Tanswell.

The Lowdown: Semenyo in demand

The Ghanaian will be out of contract at Ashton Gate at the end of the season, and having not yet committed to extending his stay in the Championship, he is likely to secure a move away this month.

As per Bristol Live, Premier League club Bournemouth have already submitted three official offers for the 23-year-old, while Burnley have also seen their proposal rejected, and Crystal Palace are the latest club to have made an approach.

Nathan Jones’ side also appeared to have initially identified the forward as a potential target, but after recent discussions, it sounds like the interest isn’t being pursued further.

The Latest: Semenyo talks held

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, Tanswell revealed that Southampton did make contact with Semenyo’s agents last week but decided not to follow up with a bid, and there has been no progress since.

He tweeted: “#SaintsFC held talks with Antoine Semenyo's representatives last Tuesday but nothing since. The club spent the last month laying the groundwork on Nicolas Jackson, only for Danjuma and #afcb to scupper the move.”

The Verdict: Make an approach

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson claimed last year that Semenyo is a ‘nightmare to play against’, and despite seemingly losing out on Nicolas Jackson, it’s not too late for Southampton to change their mind and make an approach before the deadline.

The Robins talisman posted an impressive 20 goal contributions in 31 league appearances last season, and he would offer Jones plenty of versatility, having operated centrally and out wide so far this term.

Semenyo is also winning two aerial duels per game in the Championship, a rate bettered by just two players for the Saints, and would offer a threat in the air as well as on the ground. In addition, his haul of seven goals in the current campaign is second only to Che Adams (eight) among players in Jones' squad.

Taking all of that into account, he appears to be the ideal candidate to put pen to paper at St Mary’s, so hopefully the recent talks will ultimately lead to a deal happening.