Tottenham, Southampton and Everton are all chasing Mohamed Simakan and Strasbourg manager Thierry Laurey accepts that stopping a departure may be all-but impossible, while speaking to 20Minutes.
Given that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints have the joint-second worst defensive record in the Premier League, it is no surprise that a whole host of talented young centre-backs appear to have been lined up for a summer move to St Mary’s
Simakan, the £13 million Frenchman, is just one of those.
RMC Sport, meanwhile, claims that Everton are also in the race for the Marseille-born powerhouse, with deals for both Gabriel Magalhaes and Jean Clair Todibo looking more and more unlikely by the day.
Then there is Tottenham. Jose Mourinho appears to be fighting a losing battle as he looks to keep Jan Vertonghen in north London, while the increasingly error-prone Toby Alderweireld is no longer the dominant force he was during Mauricio Pochettino’s heyday.
Strasbourg coach Laurey is still counting on another year with Simakan at his disposal, but he knows he will have to roll with the punches if the Ligue 1 outfit receive an offer they cannot refuse.
“Him and others!” Laurey responds when asked if he wants to keep the 20-year-old.
“Today, we have a coherent team so I don’t want to let anyone go. But if someone has to leave us, we will adapt.”
Almost every club in Ligue 1 have been hit hard by the ongoing financial crisis and you’d imagine that plenty of teams from the other side of the Channel will be looking to take full advantage in the weeks and months to come.
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