Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested that the Saints are going to be potentially looking at Championship players to add to their squad this summer, but also revealed they might get priced out of some moves.

It is going to be a hugely important summer for Southampton and they will need to improve the overall squad depth they have after enduring issues with injuries throughout the campaign. Hasenhuttl has already suggested that Ryan Bertrand could be set to leave the club in the summer, with him not having signed a new deal that has been offered to him.

The Saints have been linked with a potential move for Brentford’s Rico Henry as a possible replacement for Bertrand. However, it is believed that Manchester City are also potentially interested in making a move for him. While the Bees are placing a valuation of around £15 million on the defender heading into the summer.

Another player that Southampton are being linked with from the Championship is Bournemouth’s star-man Arnaut Danjuma. While the winger himself has admitted he wants to get back to the Premier League.

Speaking to Hampshire Live, Hasenhuttl revealed that there is the possibility that Southampton will be going for Championship players this summer. However, he also suggested that they could be priced out of some moves due to them not wanting to pay over £10 million for someone.

He said: "We have our weeks where we put our targets down and in these [lower divisions] there are definitely some options that you can have a look at.

"The prices are rising massively, even while you are paying for a Championship player. I don’t have to tell you, look at [Said] Benrahma and how much he cost when he went from Brentford to West Ham.

"It is a lot of money that you have to pay for them.

"We are looking for players around the ten million pound mark, or lower if possible. There are some good players around there and this is what we need to find.

"As a club, we know that we don't have this huge amount of money to bring big players in, not at the moment.

"The targets we have are players who are not immediately helping us, but in a long-term project when they work with us, when they play for us for a few times, then they're getting better.”

The verdict

This is potentially some positive news for both Brentford and Bournemouth ahead of the summer window, with Southampton not looking likely by these comments to be able to afford the transfer fees they would demand for Henry and Danjuma respectively.

Keeping hold of those two players could come down to whether or not Brentford or Bournemouth manage to earn promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs. Without that then the pair could decide they wish to leave and try and secure a move to a team like Southampton in the Premier League.

Southampton seem to be in a difficult place heading into the summer window in terms of their finances and it does not seem like they are going to be able to afford to make too many major additions. Trying to get top-end Championship players for under £10 million is something that they are going to find very challenging.