Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their third goal
Southampton are now "interested" in signing a £400k+ defender who has been likened to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has revealed.
Still overseeing major rebuild at St. Mary's
The Saints came from behind to defeat National League side Eastleigh in their first pre-season friendly, with Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer getting on the scoresheet, but new manager Will Still has insisted he is still very much in the process of a rebuild.
Still said: "I think there are a lot of things to learn. We're going to have to work incredibly hard and we're not going to walk over any opposition, you can see that it's a team in the middle of a complete reconstruction.
"We're restructuring the identity and style of play and after 10 to 11 days training we've seen a lot of positive things as well as things we have to work on."
Feyenoord's Luka Ivanusec in action with FC Salzburg's Bobby Clark
Of course, Still's main ambition next season will be to lead his side to promotion from the Championship, but he may have to bolster his backline if they are to achieve that goal, having shipped 86 goals in the Premier League last term.
Newly appointed Southampton manager Will Still in the stands
Newly appointed Southampton manager Will Still in the stands
Southampton have already made one new addition at centre-back, securing the signing of Joshua Quarshie from Hoffenheim, and they have now joined the race for another, according to an update from Joseph on X.
The Sky Sports reporter claims the Saints are now "interested" in signing Volendam centre-back Xavier Mbuyamba, and there are positive signs that a deal could be possible, with the Dutch club "keen" to cash-in on the defender this summer.
However, Watford are also interested in the centre-back, while Fabrizio Romano has revealed the likes of Gent and Rangers could also provide competition for his signature, and the transfer expert believes his price tag will be around the €500k (£434k) mark.
"Dominant" Mbuyamba could excel at St. Mary's
Earlier on in his career, the Volendam defender was often compared to Van Dijk, perhaps given that he is a "dominant" figure in defence, according to scout Jacek Kulig, who also praised him for his tackling and heading ability.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
However, after coming through the youth ranks at Barcelona, before going on to sign for Chelsea, the Dutch defender's career probably hasn't panned out how he would've hoped, but there are signs he is now ready to test himself properly in England.
During his time with Volendam, the Maastricht-born ace has established himself as a key player, making 62 Eredivisie appearances across the past two seasons, and showcasing his attacking threat by scoring ten goals.
At 23-years-old, Mbuyamba still has plenty of time to fulfill his potential, and for a fee of around £434k he could be a bargain signing for Southampton this summer.