With the season drawing towards a close, clubs will be assessing their transfer options ahead of the summer.
Southampton are no different, despite the fact the league they will be in is still to be determined.
Russell Martin‘s side are currently fourth in the Championship and have a guaranteed play-off place.
However, with only a few games remaining, they are still in with an outside chance of achieving automatic promotion.
Whilst it is difficult to plan for the future with so much uncertainty, Martin will have an idea of areas he feels he needs to strengthen ahead of next season regardless of what division Southampton are in.
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Now, reports have emerged that Southampton are weighing up a move for a Premier League player they have been linked with previously.
Southampton linked with move for Ben Johnson
That player is West Ham United’s Ben Johnson.
The 24-year-old is out of contract in the summer. According to The Athletic, he turned down a six-year deal from his current club in February and now looks all but guaranteed to move on.
Southampton have been linked with a move for the full-back in the past, with his ability to also play as a central defender and in midfield – as we have seen at times this season – making him an attractive proposition.
The Sunday Mirror reported on Sunday (21 April, page 71) that the Saints have maintained an interest in Johnson, with the likes of promotion rivals Leeds United and Ipswich Town, as well as Crystal Palace, all eyeing up the England under-21 international.
James Nursery wrote that West Ham boss David Moyes is “keen to hold on to the versatile defender”, but it appears Johnson has decided to seek regular first-team football elsewhere.
Ledley King wants Southampton target Johnson at Tottenham
Johnson’s favoured position is right-back and Southampton currently have Kyle Walker-Peters and James Bree as options in that role.
However, Walker-Peters’ future beyond this season is very much up in the air.
The 27-year-old was linked with a move to Chelsea in January and, having recently been named in the EFL Championship Team of the Season, is likely to be the subject of transfer speculation again this summer.
Even the most optimistic of Saints fans knows that if the club fail to achieve promotion then there is no way that Walker-Peters will be a Southampton player next season.
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With the offers he has on the table, it is also highly unlikely that Johnson will make the drop down to the Championship this summer, so this move likely also hinges on promotion.
Perhaps surprisingly, given Johnson has only managed to make four Premier League starts this season according to Transfermarkt, West Ham’s London rivals Tottenham also hold an interest.
The North London club are looking to strengthen their depth in the full-back positions ahead of next season and, according to FootballTransfers.com, Spurs legend Ledley King has personally recommended Johnson to the club he made 323 appearances for.
The fact that King and Johnson are cousins may well be a factor in the recommendation, but King would not put him forward for the move if he did not feel he was up to it.
With so much interest in the defender, Southampton will have their work cut out to convince Johnson to make the move to the south coast.
However, if Walker-Peters did depart in the summer Martin could offer Johnson the guaranteed regular football he so desperately craves.