This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Southampton have emerged as a contender to sign Rico Henry, according to reports from the Evening Standard.

The Brentford star is said to be attracting attention from the Premier League after another impressive campaign for Thomas Frank's side where he's established himself as one of the best left-backs in the league.

As per reports, the Saints are said to be leading the chase with the likes of Manchester City and West Ham also keen on a move.

It's claimed that a move could cost in the region of £12- £15million for a club to pull off a deal, with the Bees under no pressure to sell due to him having more than two years left on his contract.

But would a move to Southampton be a good move for Rico Henry? The team at FLW have their say...

George Harbey This would be a quality addition for the Saints. To be honest, I was surprised to see Brentford keep hold of Henry at the end of last season as I thought he was absolutely terrific in 2019/20. He hasn’t had the greatest of impacts in the final third this season compared to last, but he still offers plenty of endeavor and pace going forward. Southampton may need a new left-back in the next year or two as Ryan Bertrand is only getting older, and Henry would be a hungry, up and coming replacement. He would be a classy signing. Chris Thorpe I think he’d be the perfect long term replacement for someone like Ryan Bertrand. Henry is brilliant going forward and solid at defending in one on one situations and seems ready made for the Premier League. He’s someone who I think could have moved on last summer, so I would see this as something that has been a long time coming. This move makes a lot of sense for all parties and I feel it could only be a matter of time before he departs the Bees. Sam Rourke He can be the successor to Ryan Bertrand. At 23, Henry is without doubt the best left-back in the Championship and my eyes and has shone over the last few seasons with the Bees. Up to his recent injury, the left-back was an ever-present figure in the Brentford team and never missed a game, he's such a consistent player and will rarely offer up a sub-par performance. With Bertrand's time at Southampton slowly coming to an end, I really cannot think of too many better options that Henry to fill that void at St Mary's. He's the perfect modern day full-back, he possesses lots of pace and is not afraid to initiate and support attacks alongside his defensive duties.