Fulham are confident of signing Harrison Reed for £8 million after Ralph Hasenhuttl failed to guarantee the midfielder the first-team football he wants at Southampton, according to the Standard.
While the former RB Leipzig coach has shown plenty of faith in an academy which went ignored for far too long during the reigns of Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes, it seems that one long-serving Saint is heading for the exit.
Worthing-born Reed made his debut for Southampton as far back as 2013 but, seven years and just 17 Premier League appearances later, the all-action central midfielder appears to be at a crossroads in his career.
The 25-year-old was one of the most important members of a Fulham side who secured promotion back to the top-flight this week, beating Brentford in the play-off final at Wembley.
Scott Parker would love to turn his loan deal into an £8 million permanent transfer, seeing Reed as a key part of his plans going forward.
The same cannot be said, however, about Hasenhuttl.
Despite the impending departure of club captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, The Standard reports that Hasenhuttl is reluctant to offer Reed the first-team football he craves at the age of 25.
A parting of the ways, then, appears to be for the best.
On paper, Reed is pretty much the epitome of the prototype Hasenhuttl midfielder, combining the energy of a Marathon runner with a fine passing range and a penchant for crunching tackles.
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