Southampton have reportedly joined a host of clubs including Bayern Munich and Spurs in the race to sign young England star Noni Madueke.
According to a report from the Evening Standard, Saints are among the clubs to have made an enquiry to Madueke’s current club PSV Eindhoven. However, with Spurs, Bayern, Leeds and Crystal Palace also in the mix, they need to make sure they have something unique to offer the 19-year-old.
This could come in the form of another additional step in his career before he reaches the very top level.
Saints have had success in the past by offering talented players a chance to prove themselves in the Premier League before moving onto Champions League clubs. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to steal ahead of rivals to secure Madueke’s signature.
Southampton could grab a superb talent in Madueke
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Crystal Palace and Spurs have an active interest in Madueke having had him as part of their youth academies in the past before he moved onto PSV, but the fact that he chose to move to the Netherlands perhaps shows a level head.
If chances are unlikely to come freely in England, talented youngsters will sometimes take opportunities abroad. Madueke has done this, as have others like Jadon Sancho. They all know that they want steady progress in their careers to ensure they don’t burn out when they are young.
Once in the Netherlands, Madueke made some great strides. Scoring and assisting freely in the Under-17s and Under-19s setups, he was fast-tracked to the Under-23s and then the senior team.
He has also earned a cap for England Under-21s and will surely be featuring highly in the thoughts of England coaches.
A big future beckons for one of the latest hot English prospects abroad but Saints will have to act quickly if Madueke is to make a stop off at St Mary’s on his way to the top.