Exclusive: Southampton's £65m Tyler Dibling price-tag questioned amid Tottenham interest | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has given his view on where Tyler Dibling's future lies

Tyler Dibling was the shining light in Southampton’s otherwise dismal 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

The 19-year-old played 33 times in the top-flight last term and performed at a consistently high level.

This brought forward the attention of suitors such as Tottenham Hotspur, who had a £35 million bid rejected for the teenager in January.

Southampton made a statement by reportedly demanding £100 million for Dibling earlier this summer, but it has since been reported that the Saints could be negotiated with to lower this amount, with a £65 million price-tag now the reported figure.

Spurs are thought to still be interested in a move for the young midfielder, who has proven to be a capable Premier League operator.

Lee Hendrie weighs in on Tyler Dibling’s Southampton situation

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes that the Saints may be resigned to losing the talent but admits the South Coast side could price interested parties out of a move.

“My gut feeling is that Tyler Dibling will leave Southampton,” Hendrie told FLW.

“You'd put him in a category with the likes of Gustavo Hamer - the players who have really proved that they would stand out in the Championship, and this boy's got massive, massive potential.

“I think that the only thing that might keep him at the football club is Southampton’s valuation of how much he's worth. Around £65 million, who's going to pay that sort of money?

“I think there's no doubt that this boy's going to be a player and he's already a player, it's just whether someone can get him at a cut price fee and really get the best out of him.

“I think that'll be the thing that might keep him there next season. But as we know, these deals can always be varied.

“They can always be knocked down; there can be add-ons and all the rest of it. That might just tempt Southampton to take the money and give him the opportunity to go and play Premier League football.”

Southampton could benefit from lowering Tyler Dibling asking price

On the surface, keeping Dibling at St. Mary’s next season would boost Southampton’s chances of achieving promotion straight back to the Premier League.

His performances in the top-flight last term were impressive enough to suggest that he would be one of the Championship’s leading midfield stars.

However, if Will Still and Southampton sold the teenager for a hefty price, it might provide them with a substantial amount of money to reinvest back into their squad.

As a result, selling Dibling could potentially result in the South Coast outfit strengthening as a group, boosting their overall chances of securing promotion.