Relegated with Toulouse down to Ligue 2 last season, Ibrahim Sangaré was always likely to leave the club at some point in the current transfer window.
The defensive midfielder was well appreciated by a number of clubs around Europe, and while it took longer than first thought, a move to PSV Eindhoven was sorted out.
However, amid links of Tottenham interest, it appears Southampton came close to signing the Ivorian, at least according to the player himself.
Presented to the media by PSV TV and interviewed in the process, Sangaré was asked about interest from the Saints and why he chose the move to the Eredivisie over the Premier League.
He replied, relayed by Voetbal International: “Things were a little slow at Southampton, but I was very interested in PSV. This is a very interesting choice in terms of sports. I’ve seen PSV matches and I’m impressed with the way they play.”
The midfielder went on to say snubbing the move to St Mary’s was ‘an easy choice’ because ‘when such an opportunity (as signing for PSV) presents itself, you should seize it’.
The Dutch side reportedly ended up paying around €9m for Sangaré, who believes the move is a ‘good step’ in his career.
Whether that eventually leads to a move to the Premier League remains to be seen, but at 22 years of age, he has time on his side to make his mark in another European league.
Either way, if Southampton end up being interested when that time comes, they might want to do things a little quicker.
