Should Southampton join race for Leeds defender Charlie Taylor as West Brom stall on move?

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Southampton could be on the lookout for a new left-back this summer, so perhaps the Leeds United defender should be on their radar.

Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand is likely to leave St Mary’s this summer, according to reports

With the Telegraph recently reporting that Ryan Bertrand is likely to be on his way out of Southampton this summer, the Saints will surely be trying to sign a left-back in the coming months to try and limit the damage his departure may cause.

One player who should arguably be on the south coast club’s radar if they have to find a replacement for Bertrand is Leeds’ Charlie Taylor, especially as West Brom seem to stalling on a move for the 23-year-old.

According to BBC Sport, the Baggies plan to end their interest in the out of contract Whites star if they cannot agree a compensation fee with the Championship club, and instead have to go through a tribunal to get a deal done.

Should West Brom leave the door open for another team to swoop in, then surely Southampton would be wise to take the chance as, while they have other options besides Bertrand in their ranks, they arguably have no-one who is ready to stamp their authority on that first-team role if he leaves.

Leeds’ Charlie Taylor will soon be out of contract at Elland Road

Taylor may look set to leave Leeds in disappointing fashion – he was fined two weeks’ wages after refusing to play on the final day of the season (via BBC Sport) – but he showed during his time at Elland Road that he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

Defensively, the academy graduate was always solid, and he is certainly not afraid to offer support going forward, making runs down the line.

Southampton manager Claude Puel surely needs to strengthen his options if Bertrand leaves

And while he may not be quite ready to perform at such a level that makes the Saints fans forget about the man he would be potentially replacing, he appears to have the potential to reach something like that standard in the future.

And with his contract set to run out in the coming weeks, he should be available – even if a tribunal is required – for significantly less than what a player of his calibre would generally be worth.