Southampton and Coventry City are reportedly in the race to sign former Huddersfield Town defender Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old is a product of Villa’s youth system but has not been afforded a first-team breakthrough in the Premier League.
He has instead accumulated experience in the EFL across five different loan spells, representing the likes of Huddersfield, Milton Keynes Dons and Plymouth Argyle.
The right-back was most recently borrowed by Preston North End and enjoyed a strong season under former Barnsley, Sheffield United and Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden made 15 appearances during his loan spell at Huddersfield Town.Kaine Kesler-Hayden made 15 appearances during his loan spell at Huddersfield Town.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden made 15 appearances during his loan spell at Huddersfield Town. | Bruce Rollinson
Interest in Aston Villa’s Kaine Kesler-Hayden
According to Birmingham World, both the Sky Blues and the Saints are on the trail of the former England under-20 international.
It has been suggested Coventry are readying a bid in the region of £5m, which the Saints will most likely have the power to match or surpass with parachute payments.
Kesler-Hayden is said to have been identified as a potential replacement for Kyle Walker-Peters at St Mary’s, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man expected to move on.
Why Kaine Kesler-Hayden left Huddersfield Town
The Terriers were keen to free up a loan spot and had sufficient depth at right-back with Ollie Turton, Matthew Lowton, Sorba Thomas and Brodie Spencer on the books.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden saw his time at Huddersfield Town cut short.Kaine Kesler-Hayden saw his time at Huddersfield Town cut short.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden saw his time at Huddersfield Town cut short. | Lewis Storey/Getty Images
Speaking after Kesler-Hayden’s return to Villa Park, Huddersfield’s then-head coach Mark Fotheringham said: “Kaine is a fantastic boy and has been great to have around the group. His performances in the past month have shown real progression, and that’s brilliant to see for a player of his age.
“We are in a position where we need to strengthen other areas of our squad and utilise our options the best we can. We have a senior member of the squad in Ollie Turton nearing a return, so that allows us to focus on other positions within the team.
“I’ve really enjoyed working together and seeing a young player push to improve, but at this moment in time letting Kaine go back to Aston Villa and seek more regular minutes is the best thing for all concerned. I’d like to thank him for all of his effort and look forward to seeing how his career grows going forward.”