Reports in France are claiming Saints have agreed terms with French side Bordeaux for their centre forward Sékou Mara, but is he the striker Saints need is the question.
According to French media sources Southampton have had a bid accepted for Sékou Mara, journalist Clement Carpentier, has made the following claim on social media.
"Saints have made an offer to Bordeaux to sign the 19-year-old. Their bid consists of €11m plus €2m in bonuses and an additional 10 percent fee from a potential future sale of the striker."
"Bordeaux have ‘accepted’ Southampton’s bid for the France U21 international, who is set to arrive at St Mary’s Stadium, and will sign a five-year deal with the Premier League club. "
Other French media sources have also backed up the story and also speak of Bordeaux suffering financial issues that are forcing them to sell a player who only signed a new deal back in March.
Mara is a centre forward who has broken into the Bordeaux squad on a regular basis this season, notching 6 goals in 26 appearances in Ligue 1, however only 8 of those appearances have been starts and the 19 year old who will turn 20 later this month has been mainly used as an impact player.
He has been capped at various youth levels up to France's U21 side, although he also qualifies for the Senegalese national team.
The sources seem to be quite good, although the transfer fee of around £9.5 million in our money quoted, seems to be quite high for a player who is said to be valued at around a third of that, this could be more about the selling club trying to big up the fee to placate fans as well creditors.
France Football News reports that Leeds, Newcastle and Aston Villa were all showing interest in who they describe as a Bordeaux Wonderkid, but it is Saints who have won the race.
Certainly it seems that in France they think that this is a done deal.