Fee Southampton Would Have To Pay For Full-back Target Clear | OneFootball

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Southampton look set to need to fork out around £3m if they want to sign Sturm Graz full-back Max Johnston, according to Sky Sports News.

Saints are preparing for life back in the Championship next season after failing to make any kind of impact in the Premier League.

A new full-back is on the agenda at the club as Kyle Walker-Peters is set for an exit from Saints as his contract is set to expire this summer.

Even though James Bree is at St Mary’s, Saints are looking to bring in another full-back.

Sturm Graz’s 21-year-old Scottish right-back Johnston has emerged as a key target for the south coast club.

He started his career at Scottish Premiership side Motherwell and made 22 appearances for them before Sturm Graz took him to Austria.

Sturm Graz were in this season’s Champions League as well and he has collected close to 350 minutes of Champions League football in five games.

The young full-back has suitors from the Premier League and Championship and the likes of Augsburg, Atalanta and Hamburg are keeping an eye on him.

Southampton will need to pay a fee of around £3m if they want to be able to land the defender in the summer window.

Even if they are prepared to offer that sum, they will have to put a compelling case to Johnston as to why he should join given the other clubs also keen on him.

Johnston’s good performances in Austria for Sturm Graz have seen him capped at international level by Scotland, with his bow coming in March, something which has further raised his profile.