Southampton bid ‘imminent’ as legend urges £3.5m star to secure Saints transfer
While Southampton have not made an offer just yet for one of the players seemingly identified as a key target for Will Still’s Championship hopefuls, that could change very quickly indeed.
This week, shortly after Southampton made Joshua Quarshie the first signing of a new era at St Mary’s, reports emerged claiming that the Saints submitted a bid for Lucas Cepeda.
Reports which would end up being dismissed around 24 hours later.
Colo-Colo’s president claims Southampton are yet to approach the Chilean outfit regarding their star man.
“We haven’t received anything yet [for Cepeda],” Anibal Mosa hit back. “We don’t have any kind of offer.”
Well, not yet, anyway.
As far as TNT Sports reporter Daniel Arrieta is aware, a formal approach from Southampton may now be ‘imminent’ for a winger looking to take the next step after scoring seven goals in 30 appearances during an impressive debut season with Colo-Colo.
Southampton bid for Colo-Colo winger Lucas Cepeda may be ‘imminent’
Southampton may not have it all their own way, however.
It is no secret that River Plate are keen to reinvest some of the £39 million they have made out of selling Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid on bringing Cepeda to Buenos Aires.
But while reports of a Southampton bid earlier this week proved to be premature, Arrieta feels that it is only a matter of time before Colo-Colo’s desire to retain the 22-year-old’s services is severely tested.
“For a few days now, information has been coming out that Lucas Cepeda is being tracked in England,” Arrieta says. “I think an offer is imminent, and Colo-Colo will have to analyse.
The reporter also believes that there may be a deal to be done for a bargain fee in the region of £3.5 million.
For a Southampton outfit who could yet move on from Kamaldeen Sulemana, Sam Edozie and Tyler Dibling – Manchester United target Dibling will ‘fetch a big fee’, says EFL Analysis’ finance expert Adam Williams – Cepeda may be a five million punt worth taking.
Chile legend Gonzalo Jara backs Southampton switch for Cepeda
The Chilean national team saw their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup go up in smoke this week.
A decade on from that Copa America-winning ‘Golden Generation’ of Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and co, Lucas Cepeda is seen back home as one of the players capable of firing La Roja back to international prominence somewhere down the line.
Chile icon Gonzalo Jara, a Copa America champion in 2015 and 2016, believes that his spring-heeled compatriot may already be at the point in his career where a new challenge is required.
“I would have loved for him to play for River [Plate], but I think he’s ready to go to Europe from a footballing perspective and from a competitive perspective,” explains Jara, who spent five years in England with West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Brighton and Hove Albion.
“You see a different player who can compete. He competed against Argentina [in last Friday’s 1-0 defeat against the reigning World champions] and you can see that in the [World Cup] Qualifiers.
“I also imagine he has the requirements to play in the Premier League or the Championship if Southampton have been relegated, which I don’t remember! I think he has all the conditions to be able to go out and succeed.”
Southampton are pursuing Scotland right-back Max Johnston as well. Elfsborg’s Sweden midfielder Besfort Zeneli is a Saints target, too, with affordable rising stars again the order of the day on the banks of the Solent.
