Southampton have made an offer to bring Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana to the Premier League, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Sulemana identified
Nathan Jones’ side are believed to be looking to recruit a new forward before the end of the window in a bid to get them out of the relegation zone and away from danger.
TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has revealed that the Ghana international is one of several targets that the club have identified, but claimed that no official bid has yet been submitted.
The Saints, however, are now said to have made their move by putting money on the table, and a response has already been received…
The Latest: Opening bid rejected
According to French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Sulemana has been the ‘subject of two offers’, from Southampton and PSV Eindhoven, both of which have been ‘rejected’.
The Dutch giants were the first to approach with a €15m (£13m) bid plus €2m (£1m) in add-ons, followed by the St. Mary’s outfit, who proposed €17m (£14m), but they were quickly turned down.
Rennes are currently ‘not interested in a sale’, with sporting director Florian Maurice making it clear to the player’s representatives that he wants him to stay.
The 20-year-old, though, wants to ‘consider a move’ amid a lack of game time this season, so this could be one to watch.
The Verdict: Worth another attempt
Sulemana has been dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and looking at his numbers, it could well be worth making an increased offer before the deadline.
The Techiman native has already made 33 goal contributions throughout his career and currently ranks in the 98th percentile for most dribbles completed per 90 minutes by wingers in Europe's top five leagues.
Sulemana also shares the same agent as Armel Bella-Kotchap, so this could potentially give the south coast side an advantage should they return with an improved bid before the end of the window.