Southampton's pursuit of Brest left-back Romain Perraud will reportedly be hijacked by an unnamed club, amid interest from Leeds United also.
The 23-year-old's performances this season earned him a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, after scoring three goals and providing seven assists for the club during the 2020-21 campaign.
Current Saints full-back Ryan Bertrand has confirmed his exit from St Mary's this summer and Southampton have been watching Perraud since the final few months of last season.
According to the Express, the South Coast club are closing in on the signing of Perraud as talks have entered an advanced stage, but the Premier League outfit may need to speed up their process as an unnamed team from France could look to steer Perraud away from England.
Along with Southampton and Leeds, Newcastle United, Lille and Lyon are also believed to be showing interest in Perraud, who still has five years left on his contract with Brest.
Since arriving at Brest in 2019, Perraud has gone on to score three goals and provide eight assists in 61 appearances for the club.
Sammy Wynne
