“Desperate” - Southampton FC transfer admission made as they battle Rangers for Crystal Palace player | OneFootball

Southampton are rivalling Rangers as they look to secure a deal for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi in the summer transfer window.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Southampton have been told that they must bring in a new winger this summer as they are linked with a move for Rangers target Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

It has been a relatively low-key start to the window for Saints, who are under new management as Will Still was named as the new head coach at St. Mary’s Stadium.

However, that doesn’t mean work isn’t going on behind the scenes, and it has been claimed that Southampton are tracking Crystal Palace winger Rak-Sakyi.

Southampton urged to address winger situation amid Jesurun Rak-Sakyi transfer talk

Whilst it has been reported that Southampton are leading the race to land the 22-year-old, any move won’t be straightforward, as Rangers are also in the running for the attacker, as former Saints chief Russell Martin looks to add to his squad at Ibrox.

So, it could be a battle for his signature, and when asked about how important it would be to land Rak-Sakyi, Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders told FLW that even though he isn’t fully convinced about the winger, he knows it’s an area they have to prioritise.

“We’ve been linked with Rak-Sakyi for some time, to be honest, we’re going back the last two windows. He is a quick player, but he struggled to consistently break into the Sheffield United side last year, and I was told they nearly cut his loan short in January.

“Is he an upgrade on what we already have in Sam Edozie and Adam Armstrong? Maybe. We need a wide man though. We really are desperate for one, but we’ve been linked with him for so long that I can’t see it happening, because it has rumbled on. We’re in the market for a winger, but I don’t think we’ll do much business until we get bodies out the door.”

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could develop into a top talent under Will Still

It’s understandable why there may be a bit of doubt about Rak-Sakyi, as he was inconsistent during his time at Sheffield United.

Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that he does have talent, and the seven goals he scored last season was a decent return, as a chunk of his 35 appearances were from the bench.

At his best, Rak-Sakyi is a joy to watch with how he carries the ball, and his pace makes him a constant threat, so you can understand why clubs like Southampton and Rangers want to bring him in.

Many Saints fans will agree that they need to add a winger, but they also need to search for the right deals, so patience is required.

It remains to be seen if they seriously pursue Rak-Sakyi, but he fits the profile of player that Saints will want, and Still could be the ideal coach to ensure the Palace man develops into the quality winger that some feel he could become.