Two clubs keen on signing Southampton player on loan – One already wanted him in January

It seems there’s suddenly a French race for the signing of Sekou Mara from Southampton.

Earlier on Thursday, we covered a piece from L’Equipe which reported that Olympique Marseille were interested in signing the 20-year-old this summer.

Now as Jeunes Footeux feature a story about the striker’s ‘first complicated season’ at Southampton, there are two more clubs named in this battle.

Those are Lorient and Reims. The first had already been interested in the striker during the January transfer window, and the latter is now joining the fight as they know they will part ways with Folarin Balogun at the end of the season.

The report writes that Southampton are ‘heading straight to the Championship’, even though that’s not the case just yet, and that would accelerate Mara’s departure from the club.

It’s claimed that a loan is a real possibility in the summer window, and that’s what has been putting the Ligue 1 sides ‘on alert’.

Southampton just spent €13m last summer to sign him from Bordeaux, so in case of relegation, the Saints will really need to make a plan of what to do with the youngster.

The striker is still adapting to English football, with two goals and three assists in 29 matches so far.