Southampton weighing up move for 21-year-old | OneFootball

FC Saarbrucken midfielder Luca Kerber has appeared on Southampton's radar, according to the Daily Mail.

There's less than a fortnight to go until the summer transfer window closes and the Saints look set to be busy during that time, with a few of their first-teamers being linked with exits.

Even without further departures, more players are required at St Mary's before the window closes as Russell Martin looks to fill gaps in his squad and put his stamp on the first team.

Martin's style is vastly different to Ruben Selles' and with this, the former may be keen to bring some familiar faces to the south coast to try and implement his style of player more rapidly.

Who is Luca Kerber?

Kerber isn't exactly a familiar face to Martin though, with the player spending the whole of his footballing career out in Germany with Saarbrucken.

Registering three goals and four assists in 33 league appearances last term, that isn't a bad record for a midfielder but he is currently plying his trade in the German third tier.

Despite becoming a regular first-teamer there during the 2020/21 campaign, which is an impressive achievement considering he's only 21, he hasn't played at a level higher than the third tier and it could be a big step up for Kerber if he made the switch to St Mary's.

How much will Luca Kerber cost Southampton?

The Saints have a big hole to fill in the middle of the park considering their recent midfield departures.

Not only has Ibrahima Diallo secured a move away from St Mary's, but former captain James Ward-Prowse and promising youngster Romeo Lavia have both left too.

Ward-Prowse has secured a switch to West Ham United - and Lavia has moved to Chelsea with both leaving for big-money deals.

That should help Martin's side to bring in some adequate replacements, but they won't need a huge amount of money to recruit Kerber.

The German is valued at around £850,000 by his current side, with Brondby having a £400,000 bid rejected for the midfielder.

That should be affordable for the Saints who have cashed in on Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Tino Livramento and others.

Would Luca Kerber be a good signing for Southampton?

It's important not to underestimate players like Kerber because he's clearly shining at a domestic level and should have a lot of confidence because of this.

And already appearing for his current side this season, he should be match fit and ready to make an immediate impact for the Saints, who could benefit from having more midfield options straight away.

The south-coast side do have some excellent midfielders at their disposal already including Will Smallbone.

But more depth in this area will be required during a 46-league game season and this is one reason why Kerber could be a good addition.

He may not demand regular starts due to the fact he has come from the third tier either - and that can only be a good thing for squad harmony - even though he will certainly be pushing to secure a spot in the first 11.