Southampton will take on West Ham United and European giants Roma as they aim to sign Bologna defender Takahiro Tomiyasu, according to reports.
The Japanese right-back only moved to the Serie A club last summer from the Belgian outfit Sint-Truidense VV for a reported €7m (£6.2m) on a five-year contract.
Despite only being 21 years old, Tomiyasu already has 18 caps for Japan and is highly regarded back in his homeland by the national team.
For the Jupiler Pro League outfit, the Japan international managed to score just once in 41 appearances and has already made 21 outings for Bologna this season before the campaign was brought to a halt.
According to Calcio Mercato, the Saints will go head-to-head with their Premier League rivals and Roma to secure his services when the 2019/20 campaign comes to a close.
Should Southampton go for Takahiro Tomiyasu?
Yes
No
The report adds that both Premier League outfits will be looking to fill missing voids with the addition to Tomiyasu. Cedric Soares is expected to complete a move to Arsenal this summer and Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are keen to bring the Japanese defender in.
It is unclear how much Bologna values him, with TransferMarkt believing he is worth £12.2m. But with four years left on his contract, and with the attraction of Premier League sides, he won’t be sold for what the Italian side paid for him.
It all depends on how badly we want to sign him. Clearly, he has potential and we could uncover yet another valuable footballing jewel. Despite this, Tomiyasu is still a relatively unknown talent with plenty of scouting still to do when the season gets up and running again.
