Southampton FC will not make it easy for Crystal Palace to replace Ebere Eze | OneFootball

Southampton must stand firm on their valuations of Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling amid interest from Crystal Palace.

Southampton face a nervy end to the transfer window, with Will Still knowing he could lose some key players ahead of the deadline.

There has been speculation surrounding the future of many individuals at St. Mary’s Stadium this summer, and it won’t be easy for those involved, or the manager, who will no doubt be looking forward to September 2, so he knows what group he will be working with.

But, that’s a long way away, and, in the meantime, Saints could face a battle to keep hold of Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling, with Crystal Palace tracking both players.

Southampton must demand big-money for Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes

The Portugal U21 international, who has been excellent since his arrival 12 months ago, is also on the radar of West Ham, and it has been claimed Southampton want near £50m for the attacking midfielder after rejecting a £30m offer from the Hammers.

Meanwhile, Everton made a big play to land Dibling, but Saints stood firm, rejecting offers as they held out for the same sort of fee.

Such a stance is to be applauded, and, to their credit, the two players haven’t made this a transfer saga, with Fernandes playing in all three games this season, and Dibling came on as a substitute at Ipswich after returning to full fitness.

However, as the deadline nears, Saints’ resolve is sure to be tested again, and Palace would be an attractive option to either player.

They have a track record of developing youngsters, they have a top-class manager in Oliver Glasner, and they will be playing European football this summer. Crucially, with Ebere Eze poised to join Spurs, they will also have some serious cash to spend.

Yet, Southampton must double down on their strong stance, as they hold the cards here.

Firstly, Fernandes has four years left on his contract, and even though Dibling’s deal expires in 2027, it’s still not a major concern for the south coast outfit, so they won’t be bullied in that sense.

Southampton will be aware of the importance of promotion

More importantly, though, Fernandes and Dibling could be huge for Still as he looks to take the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

We know the financial rewards of reaching the top-flight, and keeping Fernandes and Dibling obviously enhances Saints’ chances of doing just that, and what happens on the pitch has to be the priority for the board.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they should reject all offers for players, and everyone has a price, so if Palace stump up the cash, a deal can be done.

But, with the deadline approaching, Southampton are running out of time to find quality replacements, and that has to come into their thinking as well.

It will be intriguing to see how it plays out over the next week or so, but even if Premier League clubs keep knocking for Fernandes and Dibling in that period, Southampton are in a strong position.

After sticking to their guns since relegation, Southampton must maintain that stance as the pressure builds, and ensure that they get top dollar for their prized assets if they do depart, as it could have a huge say on their promotion ambitions.