Southampton are hoping to win the race for Fulham's Fabio Carvalho in the January window, with the classy midfielder yet to sign a new deal at Craven Cottage.

The 19-year-old was one of the standout players in the Championship in the opening weeks of the season, scoring three goals and registering one assist in the first five games. Unfortunately an injury has prevented Carvalho from featuring since the end of August.

Despite that, his quality is attracting plenty of interest, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Leeds United just some of the club who are believed to have shown an interest in the player.

As well as that, the Cottagers are still hoping to reach an agreement with Carvalho over a new deal, with his current one set to expire in the summer.

However, according to TEAMtalk, the Saints are looking to convince the teenager to move to the south coast. The Premier League have put a major focus on bringing in talented youngsters during the past few months, with Tino Livramento and Thierry Small two who have joined as they look for first-team football.

The verdict

Firstly, it's no surprise to see that Southampton want Carvalho because he is an incredibly talented player who could go on to have a fantastic career at the highest level.

Some may not see it as a big step up for the player, but the Saints have shown they are willing to give youngsters a chance, so it will appeal.

Ultimately though, Carvalho is going to have a big decision to make very quickly. There is interest in him from across Europe, whilst he could sign a new deal at Fulham, and it will be interesting to see what he decides.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.