NEW Watford signing, Maduka Okoye, has revealed that his team had been in close contact with Saints “since the beginning of the year,” following his Hornets move.

The Premier League outfit signed 22-year-old goalkeeper Okoye from Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal as of January 2022.

Nigerian Okoye was Rotterdam’s player of the year and has been loaned back to the Eredivisie outfit until the end of the 2021-22 season, so won’t be seen ahead of Ben Foster just yet.

But as well as reported interest from France, the shot-stopper has named Saints as one club who his team had been in contact with over a potential transfer move, before his Watford agreement.

Read more

“My management, Prime11, had been in close contact with several clubs from the Premier League since the beginning of the year – Southampton, Crystal Palace and Burnley,” Okoye said, as reported by Transfermarkt.

“Watford, with Gino Pozzo (club owner), simply convinced me. I will fight for my place and give everything to be the number one.

“I believe in the quality of the team and I pray and hope they stay (in the Premier League.)”

Saints will likely delve into the transfer market to replace Fraser Forster at the end of the season, with both his and Alex McCarthy’s contracts expiring next summer.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has hinted that one will leave the club and it is likely to be the former Celtic man, with McCarthy having started every Premier League game of the season.

There has been heavy links to West Brom and England shot-stopper Sam Johnstone, whose contract also runs out at the end of the campaign.