Southampton have been linked with a summer move for this Championship attacker.
Southampton have a growing list of summer transfer targets ahead of their return to the Premier League for the 2024/25 campaign.
Russell Martin steered the Saints to promotion via the Championship play-off final in what was his first season at St Mary’s.
Since earning promotion, Southampton have brought in Rento Takaoka and Adam Lallana on free transfers, with promotion to the Premier League triggering a reported £20million buy clause in Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ loan from Manchester City.
Martin now appears to be focussing on a permanent move for another one of lasts season’s loan players in Flynn Downes from West Ham.
Now, it’s been reported that West Ham and Southampton are both vying for the same summer transfer targets; Hull City man Jaden Philogene.
Southampton eyeing move for Jaden Philogene at Hull City
Philogene, 22, is a product of the Aston Villa academy, leaving the club last summer and sealing a £5million move to Hull City.
Last time round, the left-sided attacker scored 12 goals and grabbed six assists in 32 Championship for the Tigers, who eventually finished in 7th place of the table.
An emerging report from TEAMtalk now claims that Southampton and West Ham are both weighing up summer moves for the Englishman.
The same report adds that Hull are ‘reluctant’ to lose Philogene, but that the Tigers are ‘bracing themselves for offers’ during this summer’s transfer window.
Can Southampton win the race for Jaden Philogene
It might be safe to assume that Southampton and West Ham aren’t the only teams looking at Philogene this summer.
He enjoyed a promising 2023/24 campaign and proved that he can provide that end product too, with his 12 league goals making him Hull City’s top scorer last time round.
The Tigers’ £5million price for Philogene seems like an absolute minimum fee if they were to part ways with Philogene, who’s under contract until 2026.
With Southampton having already spent £20million on Harwood-Bellis, and seemingly desperate to spend what would surely be at least £10million to sign Downes, how much money they’ll have for other signings remains to be seen.
Philogene though is a young and exciting player and the Championship is a league where a lot of Premier League teams are having success in buying from.
If Southampton can bring in both Philogene and Downes this summer, then it could be a couple of very decent signings.