Southampton to break club record for La Liga star
Published:
Southampton boss Ronald Koeman is ready to shatter the Saints transfer record in order to beef up his defence.
That is according to The Mirror, which claims the Dutchman is preparing an £18m bid for Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld.
At present the Saints record is the £15m they shelled out for Dani Osvaldo back in 2013 and Koeman is convinced that after spending a season on loan at St Mary’s the Belgian is well-equipped for life in the Premier League.
The 26-year-old formed a solid partnership with Jose Fonte in the heart of the Saints defence last season and Koeman was poised to exercise s £5.7m option for a permanent deal.
However, Atelti have the option to buy-out the clause and increase their asking price, which they are expected to do on the back of the former Ajax player’s form in recent months.
At present Southampton are priced at 14/1 to secure Champions League football through a top four finish but given Koeman’s proactive stance in the transfer market those odds could tumble in the coming weeks.
Malaga striker Juanmi and Sporting Lisbon’s Cedric Soares have already arrived while Alderweireld is joined by Feyenoord ace Jordy Clasie on the wanted list.
Koeman’s side are priced at 6/4 to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park on the opening day of the season but should the Saints boss acquire all of his intended targets then those odds too could be slashed ahead of the big kick-off.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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