Southampton plotting move for Wigan Athletic player | OneFootball

The Saints are keeping tabs on Latics starlet Harrison Bettoni

Southampton are eyeing up a Wigan Athletic talent with a potential view to the future - or potentially the short-term too as their results continue to falter.

Tonda Eckert's men suffered yet another blow in the Championship when they were beaten 2-1 by Hull City on Saturday, leaving them eight points adrift of the play-off spots.

The Saints have signed goalkeeper Daniel Peretz on loan from runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, and could now turn their attention to bolstering their attacking unit.

Meanwhile, defender Ronnie Edwards has left Southampton to join QPR permanently this month, whereas goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu joined Stoke City on loan, so spaces have been made open for Eckert to add to his squad.

Southampton scout Wigan Athletic youngster Harrison Bettoni ahead of potential move

Southampton, who are now currently languishing in the bottom half of the Championship, are said to be keeping tabs on a Wigan Athletic prospect that has emerged onto the scene in recent month.

As revealed by journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Southampton sent a scout to watch youngster Harrison Bettoni in the Greater Manchester club's FA Cup third round win over Preston North End last week.

The 18-year-old forward scored the winning, albeit deflected goal in a 1-0 triumph over North End for the Latics, while Nixon's post adds that Southampton could move for the teenager's services quickly to avoid being blown away by bigger rivals.

Bettoni's current contract at the Brick Community Stadium expires in the summer, but Wigan have the option to extend his terms by an extra year - although the overtures of a top Championship club may be too hard to ignore for all parties.

Harrison Bettoni's development could be best served by staying at Wigan Athletic

Even though the Latics are currently just one point clear of 21st-place Northampton Town, Ryan Lowe's side will believe that they have enough quality to beat the drop.

A win in their next game against bottom-four side Doncaster Rovers could see Lowe's men on the cusp of the top half, thanks to the condensed nature of the third tier this term.

Meanwhile, Bettoni, who has only recently established himself as a first-team player for Wigan, should favour staying in the North West beyond his current contract, unless his side suffer relegation to League Two.

The 18-year-old burst onto the scene in November when he scored a brace against Wimbledon on his League One debut from the substitutes' bench, including an impressive free-kick.

Those efforts spearheaded the Latics to their first away win of the season, while Bettoni went on to score in further triumphs on the road at Burton and Preston in the league and FA Cup, respectively.

Wigan's academy has produced several Championship quality talents in recent seasons, including Hull trio Joe Gelhardt, Kyle Joseph, and Charlie Hughes.

However, Bettoni is significantly more likely to enjoy regular game time if he stays at the Brick Community Stadium for now, rather than completing a move to a Southampton outfit who suffered relegation from the Premier League last season.

The fact that the Latics have a misfiring frontline, with Dara Costelloe and Christian Saydee scoring just five League One goals between them, is ideal for the teenager's development, as he should continue to enjoy game time.

Contrastingly, competition for places would be tough at Southampton, with the Saints enjoying the services of talented strikers such as Adam Armstrong and Ross Stewart, although there's a chance they could view Bettoni as a player to develop for the years to come, rather than throw him straight in at the deep end.