Southampton set to make £6million move for Belgium international ace Steven Defour
Saints boss Claude Puel has cash to splash on Victor Wanyama replacement and is targeting the 46-cap Defour, who wants out from Anderlecht after growing sick of abuse from fans
SOUTHAMPTON are primed to make a £6million move for Steven Defour.
New boss Claude Puel wants to fill the midfield hole vacated by the sale of Victor Wanyama to Tottenham.
And a miserable Defour is desperate to find a an exit from Anderlecht after taking both barrels from fans.
The central midfielder joined from Porto in 2014 but has not been forgiven by Anderlecht supporters for his five-year stint with bitter rivals Standard Liege.
According to reports in Holland, Qatar outfit Al-Arabi are keen to recruit Defour to play alongside a number of players that they have plucked from the player's native Belgium.
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But Defour is believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League to compete against a host of his compatriots.
And Saints appear in pole position to clinch a deal - and are not short of cash after offloading Graziano Pelle to China for £13m and banking the cash from the Wanyama deal.
They also flogged Senegalese star Sadio Mane to Liverpool in a whopping £30m - with Puel seemingly now in short supply of forwards.
The Saints' first signing of the summer was Brummie-born winger Nathan Redmond in an £11m move from relegated Norwich.
And they have since brought in Danish international central midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for £12m from Bayern Munich on a five-year deal.
One man that Puel will be keen to keep hold of is Euro 2016 winner Jose Fonte, who former Saints boss Ronald Koeman wants to be reunited with at Everton.