Southampton, Crystal Palace and Rangers in transfer race to sign defender | OneFootball

Southampton are locked in a transfer race with Crystal Palace and Rangers as they push to seal a much-coveted agreement

For Southampton, the immediate priorities will be achieving promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs and continuing a stunning FA Cup run which has seen Tonda Eckert's side make it all the way to the competition's semi-finals.

The Saints have swept aside inconsistencies from earlier on in the campaign to emerge as the division's leading form team following the turn of the year, having not tasted defeat since mid-January.

Since then, Southampton have won ten of their last 13 league games to surge into the top-six, with one of their most significant statements of intent to date coming in the form of a blitzing 5-1 victory away at play-off rivals Wrexham on Tuesday evening.

That came just days after Eckert's men progressed to the final four of the FA Cup by beating Premier League leaders Arsenal at home over the weekend, setting up a mouth-watering trip to Wembley to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City later this month.

There are, then, immediate short-term objectives in place in a season which still holds plenty of jeapordy and scope for triumph for Southampton, although they are also keeping one eye firmly on the future and have found themselves embroiled in an unrelenting, ever-intensifying transfer battle with the likes of Crystal Palace and Rangers - and it's now taken a new twist.

Southampton in Crystal Palce, Rangers transfer battle

Southampton have been tussling with Palace and Scottish giants Rangers for some time in a bid to complete the signing of a much-coveted young talent who has been likened to Liverpool legend Andy Robertson, with the battle yet to be concluded as interested parties continue to amp up efforts to win the race.

The player in question is 16-year-old prodigy Harris Afzal, who is poised to leave Scottish outfit Queen's Park amid interest from a host of suitors south of the border including the Saints.

And, regarding Afzal's heavily-discussed future, the latest update comes via a report from TEAMtalk, which has revealed that the battle for the left-back's signature remains very much alive with Southampton continuing to push for a move.

This comes following a previous TEAMtalk update, where it was claimed that Palace - much like Southampton - had agreed a £40,000 deal with Queen's Park for the transfer of Afzal.

Despite Palace's agreement, Southampton have not been deterred and are keeping their efforts intact, while they also hold a crucial potential advantage after having the teenager on trial earlier in the campaign.

The Eagles have responded in similar fashion, however, with the latest report adding that they have brought Afzal to South London to see the club and the facilities in a strong showing of intent from chairman Steve Parish.

Exactly what decision Afzal will make hangs firmly in the balance at this stage, with Southampton and Palace representing the clear front-runners after both agreeing terms and presenting attractive proposals.

Harris Afzal transfer race speaks volumes - Southampton could strike gold

Afzal's lack of senior footballing experience means the defender is an unknown quantity right now, having only made the matchday squad for Queen's Park on two occasions this term.

But, of course, he is remarkably young, and the natural route at Southampton or Palace would be a period of time in the youth set-ups of the respective clubs before hopefully graduating to first-team level.

They clearly know exactly what he's all about, and these are also two clubs with renowned academy systems and a proven track record of developing talent over the years.

It's evident that Afzal is viewed as a major potential star in the making, and while the everyday supporter may not know what all the fuss is about quite just yet, the intensity of the race for his signing speaks volumes and this could shape up to be a seriously exciting long-term addition by Southampton if they can fend off similar competition from Crystal Palace.