Southampton youngster Alexandre Jankewitz has handed in a transfer request to the club, according to The Athletic‘s Dan Sheldon.
The 19-year-old Switzerland under-21 international is believed to be disillusioned at the lack of first team opportunities at St Mary’s and has decided to move on in search of a breakthrough elsewhere.
Having joined the academy in 2018, Jankewitz had made a name for himself in the youth ranks and was awarded the club’s scholar of the year award in 2020 on the back of his performances for the under-23 side.
A central midfielder of some repute, the Swiss teenager was named among 20 of the most talented youngsters in the Premier League by The Guardian in 2018.
There is bound to be intrigue around the midfielder’s potential availability, as last October there was reported transfer interest from both Barcelona and Parma.
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Ultimately, it’s hard to stand in the way of a talented player who believes he is ready to play his part in senior football.
Clearly, Ralph Hasenhuttl doesn’t agree with that assessment and hasn’t utilised the teenager in the Premier League this season, although it’s hard to see a way past the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Ibrahima Diallo and Oriol Romeu in Southampton’s midfield.
Jankewitz’s only taste of first team action came in the recent FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury, the midfielder replacing Caleb Watts with five minutes left in the match.
With just days remaining in the transfer window, the Saints would likely be keen to receive a figure as quickly as possible so that Hasenhuttl can bring in his own targets before Monday’s deadline.
