Despite Virgil Van Dijk still being at the club, Southampton appear to be acting as if the Dutch defender is on his way out, as a story from Italy has emerged claiming the Saints have bid for what would be his replacement.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Mauricio Pellegrino has targeted Lazio’s Wesley Hoedt to fill the eventual void left by the former Celtic star, with the Premier League club making a first offer of €15m + bonuses for the 23-year-old.
However, the Italian website report the Serie A side haven’t even considered the possibility of Hoedt leaving Stadio Olimpico as Simone Inzaghi considers him an important part of his plans for the upcoming season, suggesting the Saints’ bid wasn’t enough to make them flinch.
Arriving from AZ Alkmaar back in 2015, Hoedt made 23 league appearances last season, partnering the likes of Stefan De Vrij (who seems more likely to leave this summer) and Wallace throughout a successful season for Lazio.
We’ll have to see if this was just Southampton testing the waters, and, if so, how far they are willing to go to sign Hoedt.
