Southampton defender Romain Perraud has revealed it was actually Leeds United who first contacted him about a move to the Premier League.
Perraud joined Southampton in a €12m deal from Stade Brestois in July 2021, having spent his entire career in France playing for the likes of Nice and Paris FC.
He struggled to establish himself in his first year in England flitting in and out of the team under Ralph Hassenhuttl and making 20 appearances in the Premier League in total.
He’s been much more of a regular this season, making 12 appearances in the Premier League so far and benefitting from an injury to Kyle Walker Peters.
That has allowed him to establish himself as the first-choice right-back at the club over the last two months, a position he will be hoping to keep hold of for the rest of the season.
It seems his Premier League fate could have been very different, though, as it was actually Leeds United who first approached him about a move to England.
“In January-February 2021, I was approached by Leeds and Southampton,” he told So Foot.
“From then on, I let my agents take care of it. For my part, I try to focus on what I have to do with Brest. My first mission was to leave Stade Brestois in Ligue 1.
“Afterwards, everything went well, the exchanges accelerated towards April. It was a very stressful end to the season.
“Leeds contacted me first, but negotiations came to a halt quite suddenly. Southampton were very keen and I was immediately attracted by the project.
“The club seemed to me to be structured, rather healthy, and the philosophy of play corresponded to me. Then the club’s scout told me that he had seen me play 52 times, which gave me confidence.”
