Southampton agree £16m striker swoop as defender nears Villa

Southampton are closing on the signing of Birmingham forward Che Adams, with Matt Targett expected to leave St Mary’s for Aston Villa.

The transfer fee for Adams is expected to set Saints back around £12m – though the deal could hit £16million with add-ons.

Adams has scored 34 Sky Bet Championship goals in 116 appearances at St Andrew’s since joining from Sheffield United in 2016, including 22 last term.

He would boost Ralph Hasenhuttl’s attacking options, which currently include Danny Ings, Shane Long and Charlie Austin, though the latter has been mentioned as a target for Premier League new boys Sheffield United.

On the subject of Premier League new boys, Aston Villa look ready to swoop for left-back Targett.

Academy product Targett has made 43 Premier League appearances for Saints, including 16 last season, scoring once. He was recently mentioned as a target for both Liverpool and Arsenal as the big guns looked for cover at left-back.

But it seems Villa will be his next club with a fee of around £10million being mooted.

The 23-year-old helped Fulham win promotion to the top flight during a loan spell in 2018.

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