Southampton join Wrexham in £8m transfer race | OneFootball

Southampton have joined Wrexham in the race for Norwegian international defender Henrik Falchener this summer

Southampton have joined second-tier rivals Wrexham in the race for Norwegian international Henrik Falchener, with the centre-back having emerged on the Saints' radar in recent days.

According to Norwegian publication tv2, Southampton have joined Wrexham in the race for Viking defender Falchener, with the South Coast outfit having reportedly launched a bid worth around £8 million for the 23-year-old.

Falchener represented Norway once at the recent World Cup in North America, playing 66 minutes as the Scandinavians succumbed to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of France, and now could be on his way to the United Kingdom.

Southampton to rival Wrexham in the race for Viking's Henrik Falchener

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Falchener, to date, has spent his entire professional career in Norway, and having enjoyed loan spells in the fourth and second tier in his native country, has become a regular for Viking since 2025, making 55 first-team appearances for the Stavanger-based outfit.

The centre-back played an instrumental role in his side's journey to the Champions League, defeating Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb 5-3 over two legs, with Falchener grabbing an assist in the second leg on Wednesday evening as Viking prevailed 3-1 at home.

It was reported by The Athletic's David Ornstein a couple of weeks ago that Wrexham were pursuing a deal for the 23-year-old, having seen a bid which totalled €9.5 million (£8.1 million) including bonuses rejected.

However, the Welsh side has now seemingly set their sights on Leicester City's Harry Souttar instead, leaving the Saints with an open run for Falchener.

The outcome of Southampton's bid for the Norwegian, at this point, remains to be seen, but Tonda Eckert will be keen to get this deal over the line in the next few days to beat the September deadline.

Why Southampton have bid £8 million for Wrexham target Henrik Falchener

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Southampton are looking to bring in a new defender or two before the deadline, with a couple of outgoings at St Mary's equally expected.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been the subject of intense interest from Premier League side Aston Villa, who have seen a bid worth £18 million rejected for the once-capped England international, whilst German defender Joshua Quarshie is also expected to depart in the coming days.

Football League World's West Ham fan pundit, Ryan Horn, has previously told the Hammers to go and sign Harwood-Bellis, but with Villa interested, that doesn't look to be a likely option for Southampton's Championship rivals.

This leaves just Jack Stephens and Nathan Wood as the club's only two recognised senior centre-backs, as Eckert has already made an effort to address this with the €4.5 million (£3.8 million), including add-ons, move for FC Augsburg defender Keven Schlotterbeck.

Even with the addition of Schlotterbeck, the Saints would still be short in that area, and have turned to Falchener as another option in the heart of their back line.

A fully-fledged Norwegian international at 23, Falchener has the quality to immediately step into Southampton's back line and perform to a high level in the Championship.

With a lot of time to iron out and improve his game, Falchener could be an excellent addition at St Mary's, and although the prospect of losing Harwood-Bellis isn't enticing, the potential addition of the Norwegian is.

How have Southampton fans reacted to joining the race for Henrik Falchener?

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Southampton joining the race for Falchener, Saints supporters have taken to social media to react and share their thoughts on this update.

This Southampton supporter appears resigned to the fact that Harwood-Bellis is on his way out of the club, and with the Saints likely recouping a healthy fee for the Englishman, have been urged to spend the rest of that money on another midfielder after Shea Charles' departure.

This Southampton supporter would like to see both Falchener and Schlotterbeck arrive at the club this summer, even if Harwood-Bellis remains at the club.

Indeed, Viking have just qualified for Champions League football, as Southampton's task of luring the Norwegian to St Mary's has become all the more difficult.