Southampton are reportedly attempting to sign Elche star David Affengruber ahead of Tuesday's 11pm transfer deadline amidst speculation that Taylor Harwood-Bellis is on the verge of a move to Aston Villa.
The Saints have fought hard to keep hold of the services of the one-time capped England international, however it appears a move back to the Premier League is imminent after the clubs thrashed out a £30 million agreement over the weekend.
Harwood-Bellis' move would pave the way for Saints boss Tonda Eckert to add to his defensive ranks and it appears as though Austrian international Affengruber heads the German's list of replacements.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a plethora of European heavyweights over the past couple of years, including Manchester United, but it's Southampton who could now make their move as they look to take advantage of the powerful defender's contract situation.
Despite attempts from Elche to tie Affengruber down to a new deal, no agreement has been reached meaning he would be free to depart the Spanish side at the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
According to Spanish media outlet TodoAlicante, the Saints are set to test the waters with a £10 million bid in the coming hours following initial discussions between the two clubs.
Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton have recently added a central defender to Eckert's squad, in the shape of Kevan Schlotterbeck, although his arrival was to compensate the departure of Joshua Quarshie who sealed a loan move to Sturm Graz.
The Saints have been linked with a number of other defenders over the past week as they prepared for Harwood-Bellis' likely departure, with Viking FK's Henrik Falchener heavily speculated as a transfer target.
But it seems as though it's Affengruber who has been ear-marked as their top target, although the ambitious move could rest on whether the likes of Bournemouth and Roma -- who have both been courting him -- enter the bidding at the 11th hour.
