Beating intense competition to land Mendes would be a huge Southampton coup

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Southampton are among a number of clubs across Europe tracking Lille midfielder Thiago Mendes with designs on a a January move, acccording to French outlet Le 10 Sport.

The Saints are reportedly keen to bolster their midfield options to boost Ralph Hasenhuttl’s hopes of keeping the club in the top flight, but they face stern competition for Mendes.

26-year-old central midfielder Mendes has made 17 appearances for the French outfit this season and that has attracted attention from numerous countries.

The report claims that Paris Saint Germain boss Thomas Tuchel is also keen to improve his engine room and that Wolfsburg and several Chinese clubs are also keeping tabs on his progress.

Southampton used to pride themselves on their ability to attract talent from across Europe to replace departing stars, but the calibre of players they have recruited in recent seasons has dwindled.

But given the standard of sides interested in Mendes, his arrival at St Mary’s would represent something of a coup for Hasenhuttl as he looks to restore those former standards on the south coast.

The Saints are no stranger to an expensive bust of late – so there is a need for caution – but beating the likes of PSG for a player would show they mean business again.