Spanish outfit Real Sociedad have joined Celtic in the race to land Southampton forward Mo Elyounoussi in the summer.
According to Football Insider, Sociedad have made Elyounoussi one of their top targets heading into the summer window. It is also said that Southampton are open to selling him as he is down the pecking order in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s mind.
The report claims that Celtic are also interested in signing him permanently upon the end of his loan spell in Scotland, with Southampton wanting up to £10m for his signature.
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If, as the report states, Elyounoussi is not in Hasenhuttl’s plans then it makes sense for the club to sell him on a permanent basis in the summer. Hasenhuttl might not think that Elyounoussi is better than the options he currently has available, which could be why he has given the green light to a potential sale.
Southampton already have Nathan Redmond, Stuart Armstrong, Sofiane Boufal and Moussa Djenepo available in the wide positions, showing how the Saints have strength in depth in that area. Armstrong and Djenepo were both crucial in the win over Villa at the weekend, with Djenepo setting up the opening goal before Armstrong found the back of the net himself to make sure of the three points.
Redmond and Boufal have also caught the eye this season, with the former on three goals and one assist in the Premier League for the Saints. This shows why Elyounoussi could be so far down the pecking order and why the club are willing to let him leave to join Sociedad or Celtic.
It will be interesting to see if either of the clubs are willing to meet Southampton’s demands for Elyounoussi. His performances between now and the end of the season for Celtic could play a key role, given that he has the chance to further impress Neil Lennon and convince him to pay the money to sign him permanently.
