SAINTS must cough up £20m if they are to capture defender Mamadou Sakho, according to the BBC.

Phil McNulty, the BBC's chief football writer, reports that Liverpool have set the £20m asking price for his services in the January transfer window.

Rumours have filtered out in recent days that Sakho could well be a target for Saints if Jose Fonte was to leave St Mary's this month.

The BBC report adds that Galasaray and Sevilla have also "shown an interest" in the 26-year-old, who hasn't played for the Reds since April due to off-field problems.

The French international may well be on Saints' radar if Fonte were to depart, although the asking price would be pose a big obstacle.

Saints' executive director of football Les Reed stated to the Daily Echo that they would not let Fonte leave unless a replacement had been organised.

"He certainly won't leave on the basis that he can just go," he said. "We would not consider releasing him unless there was a decent transfer fee and secondly that we were in a position to replace him.

"If anybody comes along on the last day of the transfer window it's not going to happen.'