Southampton and West Ham United are reportedly among a clutch of clubs vying for the signature of promising Woking youngster Oliver Creed.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, the defender has been attracting interest from clubs higher up the English footballing ladder after his emergence onto the first-team scene in the National League.
Creed, who is just 16, is apparently a target for Southampton as well as West Ham, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
Championship pair Brentford and Millwall are also understood to be keen.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Creed looks like a really promising player, and regardless of the level at which he is performing, breaking into a senior squad at the age of 16 is an impressive feat.
The defender would likely join Saints to play in the club’s Under-18 setup, or at best their Under-23 side, but he appears to have all the requisite credentials for a future first-team player.
Creed remains an untested option on the first-team stage, but Southampton have prided themselves on recruiting raw potential before moulding them into refined, well-prepared talents who are capable of making the step up.
Competition looks to be fierce in the race to sign the centre-back from Woking, but it would be a sensible move for his development to link up with Saints’ youth squads at this early stage of his career.
