Southampton could face competition in the race to sign Marin Pongracic from Red Bull Salzburg.
Recent reports have suggested that Saints hold a ‘long-term interest’ in the central defender, who has made three appearances at Under-21 level for Croatia.
However, it seems Southampton are not alone in their admiration of Pongracic, with Austrian outlet Salzburger Nachrichten, as cited by Sport Buzzer, indicating that VfL Wolfsburg are pushing to recruit him.
The 22-year-old appears to be a man in demand this month, and it is stated that the Bundesliga outfit have already staged talks with Salzburg over a possible January deal for the player.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Pongracic has found himself in and out of the Salzburg team this season – he nursed a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign but has been left out of his side’s two most-recent top-flight outings – but he remains a promising player.
Upon watching the 22-year-old, it is clear to see how his qualities align with the style Ralph Hasenhuttl has deployed at Southampton. He aims to pass the ball forward with verticality and efficiency and attempts to aggressively step out and retrieve possession in a high line.
However, it would be hard to envisage Saints signing another central defender this month unless one is on their way out, with Jannik Vestergaard recently confirming his desire to stay put, leaving Hasenhuttl with five centre-backs to call upon.
Pongracic would improve Southampton’s options, but perhaps recruiting a new central defender is not a top priority for the club given the improved form of Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek recently.
