Watkins and Mepham have shone in the Championship and could reportedly step up to the Premier League with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton.
Southampton have made great strides under Ralph Hasenhuttl and moved up to 16th after Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 win away at Leicester City.
But the former RB Leipzig boss is under no illusions that changes need to be made if The Saints are to push on between now and May. And, according to Sky Sports, the South Coast side could make a move for two of Brentford’s star players this month.
Sky believes that Southampton have been keeping a close eye on Chris Mepham and Ollie Watkins in recent times, with both players representing the kind of young, homegrown prospect who the club want to bring to St Mary’s.
Wales international Mepham is an intelligent, ball-playing centre-half who could be seen as a replacement for Wesley Hoedt, who Hasenhuttl confirmed on Friday will be allowed to leave this month (Sky Sports).
Watkins, meanwhile, has been a big hit at Brentford since he arrived from Exeter City in 2017. A quicksilver winger with an eye for goal, he has hit the net seven times in the Championship this season.
Neither Mepham nor Watkins would come cheap, however, with The Bees demanding £20 million for each.
Although Hasenhuttl’s impressive record for developing young talent at Ingolstadt and RB Leipzig bodes well should the Griffin Park duo make the move to the Premier League.
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