Southampton are at risk of losing another talented youngster as a number of European clubs circle for his signature.
Russell Martin has taken his Southampton players to Spain this week to face French sides Bordeaux and Montpellier, as well as enjoy some warm weather training.
A week away as a squad also represents the opportunity for some team building and integrating new players into the group.
That includes both the seven signings this summer and the academy players who have earned the opportunity to catch Martin’s eye in pre-season.
- READ MORE: Russell Martin springs surprise as two academy gems spotted in Southampton pre-season camp
The likes of Sam Amo-Ameyaw, Tyler Dibling and Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh will be keen to make their mark, but one of their youth team peers may now be lined up for a move away with only a year left on his first professional contract.
Jayden Meghoma could agree Southampton pre-contract exit in January
One player who has not been spotted with the first-team so far this summer is 18-year-old left-back Jayden Meghoma.
The youngster joined Southampton from Tottenham Hotspur as a 16-year-old and has made four senior appearances, impressing in the FA Cup last season.
However, latest reports could give a clue as to why Meghoma has not been involved with Martin’s squad, as he faces an uncertain future.
That is according to Sky Sports, who report that ‘Ajax, Anderlecht, Basel and Red Bull Salzburg are monitoring Southampton’s teenage defender Jayden Meghoma’.
The report claims that the lack of more regular first-team opportunities has put his ‘overseas admirers’ on alert, particularly as he will be free to agree a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January.
Sky Sports add that: ‘In that case, Southampton would only be due a small compensation figure because of Meghoma’s age’.
Southampton will be reluctant to let Meghoma go after Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez exit
If Meghoma does look to leave Southampton this would represent the continuation of a worrying pattern for the Saints.
The club have recently seen hugely talented 16-year-old Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez reject a new contract to move to Lyon and have also lost the likes of Kamari Doyle and Jimmy-Jay Morgan.
- READ MORE: Russell Martin names two ‘supremely talented’ Southampton youngsters who could get first-team role
Martin rates Meghoma highly and will be reluctant to see him leave, saying after the then-17-year-old impressed against Walsall in the FA Cup third round in January: “We have some talented young players. Jayden I thought was outstanding; so, so good, so talented, so young – it’s a hard position to play in the Championship when you’re that young.
“I don’t think there are many doing that at this age. He came in today because he deserved it, and he was excellent. He’s going to be a really exciting talent for the club moving forward.”
Southampton’s reluctance to change their wage structure for youth players is one of the reasons for the recent talent drain, but the club must find a way to stop their most talented academy players from leaving St Mary’s.