Southampton could reportedly be interested in signing Aaron Hickey during the January transfer window.
It has been reported by The Scottish Sun this week that Southampton could rival Manchester City for Hearts sensation Aaron Hickey when the January transfer window opens.
It would not be a big surprise to see Ralph Hasenhuttl target a new left-back during the winter. Ryan Bertrand has been a good servant for the Saints, but the lack of depth in that area of the field was highlighted by Kevin Danso making his debut for the club in that role in the weekend win at Brighton. Admittedly, the centre-back did well.
Despite the lack of options, it is unlikely that the Southampton supporters will have too many doubts about the club's decision to cash in on Matt Targett during the summer.
Targett arguably looked to have the potential to take over from Bertrand at some stage in the future, but it was a big surprise when The Telegraph reported that Aston Villa had agreed an initial £14 million fee that could rise to £17 million in the future.
It would be difficult to argue with any Saints fans who felt that their club had got the much better end of the deal with the 23-year-old never quite managing to consistently establish himself in the first-team.
With Dean Smith yet to use Targett, it is even easier to see why the Saints would be happy with the summer deal. And should they manage to beat Pep Guardiola's men to the signing of Hickey, it would look an even more inspired sale.
The Scottish Sun reports that City are considering offering £1.5 million for the teenager, who has already impressed in the Hearts first-team. Even if Craig Levein's side want more for the starlet, there have already been signs suggesting that he could be well worth the outlay.
He was just 16 when he made his debut against Celtic last season, and was a standout when the same two sides contested the Scottish Cup final shortly after.
Southampton have a fantastic record when it comes to identifying potential targets playing in the Scottish Premiership, and Hickey looks to be a seriously exciting talent, who may perhaps be ready to step up when Bertrand does step aside.
After the likes of Gareth Bale and Luke Shaw burst into the first-team at left-back at around the same age that Hickey is now, it may be fair to say that he may have big shoes to fill. And there will be a big question mark surrounding whether he can step up to Premier League level.
But it would certainly make the decision to sell Targett for up to £17 million look even better if they could bring Hickey in for around £1.5 million in one of the future windows.
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