Clubs are still searching for possible new additions ahead of January 2024, even if the transfer window doesn’t reopen for another two months. Southampton appears to be no different, especially considering how inconsistent they have been in the Championship.
In particular, Russell Martin has had problems getting the right balance in midfield following the departure of club captain James Ward-Prowse to West Ham United, even though he has the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Stuart Armstrong to call upon.
And according to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, the Saints were one of a number of clubs watching Superliga side Brondby on Sunday in their 2-1 home win over Nordsjaelland, and they were there for in-form attacking midfielder Nicolai Vallys, and they were likely impressed as he notched a goal and assist
Southampton weren’t the only English club there to watch Vallys though, with Aston Villa and perhaps surprisingly Man United also keeping a close eye on the action
Who is Nicolai Vallys?
Vallys is no up-and-coming potential Danish superstar of the future – he is 27 having just turned that age in September, so he is theoretically in the peak of his career.
The attacking midfielder/winger joined Brondby in the summer of 2022, making the move from fellow Danish side Silkeborg where he had scored 11 times in the season prior to his switch.
Vallys scored six times and notched three assists in his debut Superliga year with Brondby, but he has already exceeded his goal tally in the 2023-24 season, hitting the back of the net seven times in his opening 13 matches.
The Dane, who received his first cap for his country in September against San Marino, has also been pretty creative in terms of setting up his team-mates, recording 11 assists in 2021-22 and nine in the 2022-23 campaign, but it is his goalscoring exploits in the early stages of 2023-24 that is seeing him receive plaudits and scouting.
Do Southampton have a chance of signing Nicolai Vallys?
Considering the level of competition that Southampton have when it comes to scouting Vallys, it may be pretty tricky to get a deal done.
It is not the Premier League interest that they need to be worried about though if Vallys is a significant target, because at the age of 27, it’s unlikely that he is going to be seen as a major target for the likes of Man United or Aston Villa.
The likes of Wolfsburg, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille and Real Betis have also been scouting the seven-goal midfielder, and they could provide a more attractive move than the Saints.
But if they decide to move, Southampton offers a route to the English Premier League, and with the money they made in the summer transfer window, they can certainly afford his services.
