Marseille have approached the agent of RB Leipzig striker Alexander Sorloth to discuss a potential summer transfer for the Southampton target, according to Foot Mercato.
The Norwegian endured a difficult debut campaign in the Bundesliga last season after arriving from Crystal Palace in the summer. RB Leipzig paid the Eagles and Trabzonspor £22m after the 32-cap international turned his career around on loan in Turkey.
Sorloth’s time in Germany could now be short-lived after Jesse Marsch replaced Julian Nagelsmann at the helm. Marseille have approached Sorloth’s agent to hold preliminary discussions over a move to the Stade Velodrome for the Southampton target.
Sorloth also has options emerging in Italy, but Marseille are moving to position themselves at the front of the queue. The Athletic had already reported Southampton’s place among Sorloth’s admirers, with Ralph Hasenhuttl considering further Danny Ings replacements.
The Saints sold Ings to Aston Villa for an initial £25m last week and have acquired Adam Armstrong from Blackburn. He joins Che Adams, Armando Borja, Michael Obafemi and Shane Long at St Mary’s. Yet may also be joined by Sorloth with his Saxony status in doubt.
Leipzig would ideally like to sell Sorloth this summer if he is to leave the Red Bull Arena, per Kicker. It was for that reason that Marsch omitted the former Crystal Palace forward from their DFB Pokal squad to face SV Sandhausen on Saturday, which they still won 4-0.
Southampton can sign Haaland-admired striker in Leipzig man Sorloth
Crystal Palace agreed a potential £9m deal to bring Sorloth to the Premier League from Midtjylland in 2018. But he scored just once in 20 appearances with the Eagles across all competitions, before joining Trabzonspor on loan for the 2019/20 season.
Sorloth shone for the Super Lig outfit, netting 33 times and assisting 11 in 49 games. But he could not replicate that at Leipzig, with six goals and three assists in 37 appearances. That said, his goals included strikes against Borussia Dortmund and Monchengladbach.
BVB star Erling Haaland even dubbed Sorloth the ‘King of the North’, via Bundesliga.com. Now, he’s likely to hit the market, after Sorloth’s father told Dagbladet: “He wants away. We have talked about it.” But will it be Southampton or Marseille for Sorloth this summer?
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