Southampton may have been presented with a better chance to sign Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie after Hertha Berlin dropped out of the reckoning.
BILD report today that the USA midfielder was set to move to the Bundesliga side, but the potential deal was ‘broken’ over the money they were offering.
Schalke want €25m for their star midfielder but Hertha, knowing their Bundesliga compatriots are desperate for cash, only submitted an offer for ‘less than 20 million Euros including possible additional payments’.
The Blues weren’t happy with that so the deal is off the table and the potential transfer has failed.
Instead, a move to the Premier League is now looking more likely, with it explained the player is ‘dreaming’ of such a move and wasn’t 100% convinced by the Hertha switch anyway.
He may get that in the form of Southampton who recently ‘reported strong interest’ in the Texan after selling Pierre Emile Höjbjerg to Tottenham.
His departure has left them with a gap in the middle of the park that they need to fill and Bild argue with the funds they raised from his sale Southampton would have ‘enough money’ to get a deal for McKennie over the line.
There is also a clearer path to get him than there was before now that a potential move to Hertha is seemingly dead.
Of course, things are never quite that simple when it comes to transfers, but if the Saints are keen, now may be the perfect time to strike.
