It’s interesting when more than one Premier League club get linked with the same player, especially if there’s an apparent difference in calibre.
This is exactly what happened on Wednesday when Lazio fan website lalaziosiamonoi.it published an exclusive about Middlesbrough and Southampton approaching for the same player.
The man in question is 22-year-old Wesley Hoedt, who joined the Serie A side from AZ Alkmaar in 2015, making 35 appearances in the process.
The fansite report both clubs made an enquiry to Lazio about a permanent transfer for the Dutch centre-back, who made it clear the player is not for sale.
If true, this approach from Middlesbrough for a player also chased by a Europa League club shows the ambition shown by Aitor Karanka and the rest for their forthcoming season in the Premier League.
As for the reliability of the source, it’s hard to say.
Fan websites in Italy work differently to those in England, with many of them providing great sources for agent interviews during the transfer window, especially for some of the bigger clubs like Inter Milan and Roma.
However, when it comes to ‘according to indiscretions gathered by our website’, as is the case here, we remain a bit more skeptical.
