Southampton are reportedly eyeing up a swoop for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier during the upcoming transfer window, according to Football League World sources.
The Lowdown: Tavernier profiled
The 23-year-old spent the majority of his youth career with Newcastle United before making the move to Teesside to join the Championship outfit at U14s level, where he has since progressed through the ranks to become a regular feature of Chris Wilder’s starting XI.
Boro recently missed out on securing a place in the play-offs following a 4-1 defeat to Preston on the final day of the season, which means that they have to be resigned to the fact that they could face losing some of their better players this summer.
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Tavernier has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Riverside Stadium, so he is one of the Middlesbrough stars to have been in the headlines over the last few days, and it looks like there could be some interest from the top-flight.
The Latest: Southampton considering a move
In a new article by Football League World, sources have told the publication that the Saints are ‘taking a look’ at the possibility of a move for the midfield maestro, whose contract situation means he will not be a costly acquisition.
However, they are set to face competition from fellow Premier League rivals Brighton and Wolves, alongside newly-promoted Bournemouth, which could start ‘a war’ in the race for his signature.
The Verdict: 'Manager's dream'
With Middlesbrough now confirmed to be playing in the second-tier of English football for at least another season, it would be no surprise to see the £3.15m-rated ace looking elsewhere in the coming months if he has ambitions of playing at the highest level.
Tavernier has been hailed a “special” player and a “manager’s dream” by his former Boro boss Neil Warnock, so Ralph Hasenhuttl would instantly be a big fan of the versatile hard-worker.
He has made 155 senior appearances for the club to date, making a total of 36 goal contributions during that time, via Transfermarkt.
If Southampton are able to complete a deal for the Leeds-born talent, there’s no doubt that he would be a great addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad and could go on to strike up a new partnership with James Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park.