Southampton and West Ham are interested in signing non-league defender Reuben Livesey-Austin.
Southampton's January transfer strategy has been surprising. Last week, they signed two young defenders, Welington and Joachim Kayi Sanda.
While the latter is a centre-back, the former is another left-back addition to the squad. Even Southampton legend, Francis Benali criticised bringing another fullback into a stacked defensive unit.
Understandably, the Saints already have Charlie Taylor, Ryan Manning and Kyle Walker-Peters on their books.
Thus, there isn't any immediate need for more competition there. Yet, Southampton are actively pursuing more young defenders in January.
The latest player on Southampton's radar is also a left-back.
West Ham set to rival Southampton for promising non-league left-back
According to a recent report from TBR Football, Southampton is plotting a move for Reuben Livesey-Austin. Reuben is a 20-year-old non-league defender who has been turning heads with his performances.
Furthermore, Southampton are not the only Premier League club chasing him. The report claims that West Ham and Brighton have also been impressed by Reuben's rapid progress.
So much so that, West Ham and Southampton could even spark a bidding war.
Clearly, Reuben is talented and could be a good fit for the Southampton U21 team. But the 20-year-old hasn't even played in the Championship, yet.
The difference between the Championship and the Premier League is huge, let alone non-league. Even Championship stars like Charlie Taylor have struggled to become a starter at Southampton.
Thus, it means that Southampton are preparing for a big defensive rebuild in the summer.
The Saints are yet to renew Kyle Walker-Peters to a new deal beyond June. Further, Southampton are even willing to sell him this month.
This presents a scenario where Southampton would need a long-term left-back in their squad. Who knows, that may be Welington or Reuben Livesey-Austin in the future.
Let's see if the Saints start negotiating to sign Reuben in January itself.