As Southampton look to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, manager Russell Martin has reportedly identified the target that he wants to focus on to close out his first transfer window as Saints boss.
So far this summer, the recently relegated side have welcomed four reinforcements, whilst bidding farewell to the likes of Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse.
That number could stretch to five in the coming weeks, however, as Southampton turn to Leeds United.
What’s the latest on Cody Drameh to Southampton?
According to Fabrizio Romano, Martin has set personally his sights on long-term target Cody Drameh. The right-back’s Leeds contract expires next summer, making him a free agent, and the Southampton manager is even willing to wait until January to land him in a cut price deal.
Of course, from a Leeds perspective, selling to a potential promotion rival would be far from ideal, but if Drameh doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal then they could be left with no choice.
It remains to be seen just how much the Yorkshire club would demand for the fullback, though, with Transfermarkt’s valuation sitting at €3.5m (£3m). The Saints could, of course, use the funds potentially gained through the sale of Che Adams, amid Everton’s reported £12m bid for the striker.
Should Southampton sign Cody Drameh?
After losing Livramento to Newcastle United, Southampton could undoubtedly do with a reinforcement at right-back, particularly a younger option to replicate Livramento’s impact. And that’s where Drameh could come in.
As things stand, Kyle Walker-Peters is Martin’s first-choice option, but beyond that, the Saints lack depth on the right-hand side of their backline. Drameh, still only 21-years-old, enjoyed an excellent season last time out on loan at Luton Town, where he played a key role in helping the Hatters to gain promotion to the top flight.
Southampton will be hoping for the England U21 international to have a similar impact if they push ahead to secure his signature before the transfer window slammed shut.
Drameh also spent some time on loan at Cardiff City, where he earned plenty of praise, with former boss Steve Morrison saying, via Wales online: “He has been excellent. He was excellent in his first game, he was excellent at Barnsley, it was a right scrap but there were a few things when he was running back and making last-ditch tackles.
“He had a little bit of a down game, the Bristol City game, but outside of that he has been excellent. Having that break in the Liverpool game when he couldn’t play, letting his body catch up on where it needs to be, now he is like a Duracell Bunny, isn’t he? He just keeps going and going.”
With that said, it’s no surprise that Martin is a long-term admirer of Drameh, and if Southampton can finally welcome the fullback, they’ll have themselves a solid addition to aid in the quest for promotion, damaging a rival in the process.
