Southampton have been repeatedly linked with the 22-year-old.
Southampton are one of two clubs left in the race to sign Lille playmaker Sofiane Boufal, according to Foot Mercato.
The highly-rated 22-year-old is valued at around £20 million according to The Guardian and has previously courted interest from Arsenal and Spurs.
Tottenham Hotspur reportedly made contact with the French club over the attacking midfielder earlier this month.
But MadeInFoot claim that it was a bluff by Daniel Levy to accelerate negotiations between the North London side and Marseille’s Georges-Kevin N’Koudou.
Indeed, Tottenham are not one of the clubs left in the race; not according to Foot Mercato, which claims that Southampton will battle Schalke 04 for his signature.
The report adds that Southampton may have the upper hand, noting that Schalke prefer Bordeaux forward Diego Rolan. In theory, the path would be free for the Saints to then nab Boufal if the Bundesliga side sign Rolan.
The Morocco international netted 11 times in 29 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille last season and Saints boss Claude Puel – who left French football after a 15-year managerial career in Ligue 1 across four different clubs – is thought to be a long-term admirer of the young schemer.
Southampton manager Claude Puel
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