Southampton transfer target Deyovaisio Zeefuik may have played his last game for FC Groningen, according to the club’s technical director, Mark-Jan Fledderus.
According to Dutch outlet Dagblad Noorden (via Sport Witness), Southampton are one of several interested parties in the right-back, and a summer exit looks likely. Fledderus spoke on the 22-year-old, saying:
“We will see how it will go in the coming weeks. In any case, there is a good chance that Deyo played his last match for FC Groningen, but the correct price still has to come to the table.”
The Dutchman’s contract with the Eredivisie side is set to expire next season, meaning they could be forced to cash in on the defender this summer, rather than potentially losing him for nothing at the end of the forthcoming campaign. Southampton could be the beneficiaries, with the report suggesting that Groningen could accept an offer of between €3-4 million (£2.7-3.6 million) for Zeefuik this summer.
TIF Thoughts…
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are arguably in need of a right-back, with Cedric Soares due to leave the club this summer when his contract expires, so perhaps Zeefuik could be a long-term replacement for the Portuguese defender. So far this season, the 22-year-old has impressed in his performances in the Eredivisie, averaging a superb 7.17/10 rating across his 26 appearances in the Dutch top flight (per WhoScored).
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The report from Dagblad Noorden also mentions that Hertha Berlin are interested in securing Zeefuik’s services this summer, so the Saints will have to make sure they work hard to agree on a fee with FC Groningen if they want to bring him to the Premier League ahead of next season.