Four flexible full-backs who have been linked to Southampton recently
By Marc Walker
Nuno Tavares
According to a reports from Portuguese news outlets A Bola and O Jogo (via Sports Witness), Saints have been given a boost in the race to sign Tavares.
Both outlets claim that Italian giants Napoli have failed with a bid to sign the Portugal Under-21s international and that this has given some of the other leading suitors the green light to pursue a deal for themselves.
Multiple reports from Portugal have named Saints as a potential destination for the 21-year-old this summer with an exit from his current club Benfica more than likely.
Tavares has made just 41 senior appearances for Benfica but is clearly regarded as a future prospect by teams around Europe. He could fit in well with Saints and would reportedly demand a €15m fee for a team that wants to secure his signature.
As detailed by Sports Witness, A Bola’s report claims that Tavares’ preference is a move to England and this means that St Mary’s could be one of his options.
It is likely that he would be playing backup to Kyle Walker-Peters and Romain Perraud, but injuries over the course of the season mean that he should have a chance to play.