Newcastle United met
Liverpool are reportedly keeping tabs on Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling - a player also linked with Newcastle United.
A former Chelsea academy product, Toon chiefs are understood to have met Dibling - then aged 16 - in 2022. It is no secret that youth investment has been a key focus since the Saudi-backed takeover.
However, the winger rejoined the Saints, a club he spent nine years at as a boy. Southampton’s youth system is also well-respected having produced the likes of Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in recent years.
Newcastle missed out but have watched intently as Dibling has developed on the south coast. Despite finishing rock bottom of the Premier League, the 19-year-old was a rare highlight in an otherwise dismal campaign.
Crazy price tag
He enjoyed a breakout season at St Mary’s, making 38 appearances across all competitions. Relegation has put Premier League clubs on high alert for a player dubbed the “next” Bale.
However, the Saints risk pricing themselves out of a potential deal - and funds that can be used to kick-start a promotion charge. Reports earlier this year suggested Southampton would demand a staggering £100million for the wideman.
That is a figure Newcastle could not stump up based on potential alone. While the grip of PSR restrictions has loosened, the Magpies can not unleash a bottomless pit on new arrivals.
Tyler Dibling on £100m price tag
Dibling himself has joked about Southampton’s rumoured price tag. The figure has become a laughing matter within the Saints camp.
"There's a few nicknames going around," Dibling told BBC Sport in April. "It is all jokes. Nobody takes it seriously. It's just a number. It's all fun. Rambo (Aaron Ramsdale) loves it to be fair. I'll miss a shot in training and he'll just go '£90million' or '£80million' as it goes down.
"It's all good fun but I'm just trying to practise every day and to get better. I just go in to train the best I can every day and work hard. At the end of the day, I love Southampton. I have been here since I was eight. It is such a great team and I am working to do big things with them."
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Liverpool rival Newcastle United
CaughtOffside claim Liverpool have entered the race to sign the 19-year-old. Mohamed Salah recently penned a two-year contract and Florian Wirtz - who operates as a No.10 or on the left - is also set to arrive.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with his signature. Former striker Gabby Agbonlahor has told Dibling to forget about a Liverpool switch.
“We were talking about (Liam) Delap. Dibling, can he go to Everton or a West Ham and show it for a couple of seasons? He’s too young for that big move to Liverpool.”
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