Southampton are closing in on a deal for Brest midfielder Ibrahima Diallo, with the deal expected to be finalised ‘in the next few hours’.
That’s what L’Equipe report today, stating that unless there is an ‘unlikely turnaround’, then the player will be moving to Saint Mary’s.
The Saints have been on the hunt for a new midfielder all summer after selling Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham early in the window.
Their pursuit has been a frustrating one but the last week has seen them focus in on Diallo, with a report yesterday stating they were closing in on a €14m deal and the player was keen on the move.
The newspaper explains that negotiations between the two clubs had ‘intensified’ over the last two days and Brest’s sports director Grégory Lorenzi managed to convince Southampton to increase their original €8m bid.
The player, for his part, has been ‘seduced’ by the prospect of joining the Saints and is set to sign a four-year deal at the club before joining up with France’s Under 21 side on Monday.
