Southampton tried to sign Portuguese play-maker Xeka in the summer transfer window but failed to meet the £9 million asking price demanded by Lille, according to Homme du Match.
Given that this technically gifted 25-year-old is most at home in the middle of the park, we can assume he was one of the many midfielders lined up to take Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s place in the heart of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s engine room.
Before signing Ibrahima Diallo from Brest in a £13 million deal, the Saints showed an interest in Joey Veerman, Ibrahim Sangare, Weston McKenna, Idrissa Doumbia, amongst others.
Xeka’s name, however, has only emerged after the window slammed shut.
According to reports in France, the former Braga ace did not make the move from Lille to St Mary’s because Southampton were unwilling to pay the £9 million fee required to secure his signature.
A classy ball-player with a 93 per cent pass completion rate in Ligue 1 this season, Xeka is hardly one of the first names on Christoph Galtier’s Lille team-sheet.
Since the start of 2019/20, he has started just ten games in the French top flight.
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