Southampton midfielder Caspar Jander is reportedly unhappy with life in England and is keen to leave Southampton this summer, according to German publication BILD.
The 22-year-old had found a regular starting spot in the Southampton side, but a poor first-half performance before being hooked early at Leicester and the reintroduction of Shea Charles after injury has put Jander down the pecking order.
Not for the first time, reports are linking the German elsewhere this week, suggesting his agent may be putting in the work behind the scenes to find him a move away this summer.
Jander ‘keen to leave’
Despite Jander’s contract running until 2028, other clubs already have their sights set on him, reports BILD.
According to Sky, German clubs RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart hold interest, as well as Dutch giants Ajax, but BILD say the midfielder is ‘unhappy in his personal life’, making a return to his homeland, to his family and girlfriend, sound more likely at this stage.
FC Nürnberg hold a 10 per cent sell-on clause in any Southampton sale, and BILD say it's ‘very likely’ that a move takes place this summer.
The two reasons given for Jander wanting to depart Southampton are: ‘Firstly, because promotion to the Premier League is virtually impossible with a current ten-point deficit. Secondly, because Jander is reportedly unhappy in his personal life.’
Clearly, there is some miscommunication here, with the Saints being just four points off the Championship play-offs - but there is no smoke without fire, and one of Jander’s representatives is clearly keen to get the ball rolling early ahead of this summer.
Southampton’s valuation
Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg reported in January that Saints’ current valuation for Jander is between €15-25m, which is £13-21m in pounds.
Considering the young playmaker cost Southampton £10m in the summer of 2025, the club will likely want a decent return on investment. With FC Nürnberg taking 10% of the proceeds out of any potential move, the Saints will want to make as much profit as possible if forced to sell.
Jander has started 26 matches this season since signing for Southampton, scoring twice and has some of the best passing numbers in the Championship, with a 90% completion rate and 989 balls played.
He’s certainly somebody they’ll hope to keep around, but if these reports are true, they may just have a ready replacement already in the building.
A ready-made replacement?
The Saints may not need to dip into the market to replace Jander.
Academy product Cam Bragg, who was Tonda Eckert’s captain when both were part of the U21 setup earlier this season, has impressed in his few starts for Southampton since stepping up to the first team squad.
It’s easy to forget that Bragg is just 20 years old, as the midfielder looks extremely mature and experienced on the field, and has looked like a well-balanced player in the 12 outings he’s had so far this campaign.
If Southampton can sell Jander for a healthy profit, allowing Bragg to develop, and then bolster their squad elsewhere, the German midfielder leaving in the summer could just be a blessing in disguise.