Exeter City, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln City set to battle for Southampton player | OneFootball

The League One trio are all said to be keeping tabs on the young star who featured for Newport County last season

Three League One clubs are said to be battling it out for Southampton defender Lewis Payne, according to a report from Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider.

Exeter City, Bristol Rovers and Lincoln City are all said to be linked to the 20-year-old, who is thought to be highly regarded after emerging through the academy system at St Mary’s.

The fullback has already impressed in the Football League after featuring for Newport County in League Two last season, and looks to be taking the next step in his career with another temporary switch this summer.

The young star has a contract with the south coast club until the summer of 2025, although is featured just once for the Saints to date, in an EFL Cup tie with Cambridge United in 2022.

Exeter City, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln City all chasing Southampton starlet Lewis Payne

Payne has had a promising youth career during his time at St Mary’s, having been a regular performer for the Saints’ development side, before making his first move into the professional game with Eastleigh in the 22/23 campaign.

After a handful of appearances for the Spitfires, the fullback went on to play 41 times for Newport over the past 12 months, scoring twice during his time at Rodney Parade.

The first of which came in a 4-1 defeat of Barnet in the FA Cup in December, before finding another later in the month, with his side’s third in a 4-2 victory over Forest Green Rovers on Boxing Day.

His willingness to get up and down the touchline will be of great interest to the trio of League One sides said to be interested in him this summer, with his boundless energy an important trait with and without the ball.

As well as that, his ability to whip balls in from the flanks add another threat for whichever side he chooses to join this summer, with his deliveries creating five goals for Newport during the previous campaign.

Lincoln City looking to fill void left by Lasse Sorensen after Huddersfield Town move

Michael Skubala will be eying up a move for Payne to add to his Lincoln City side’s defensive options ahead of next season, with one of the Imps’ star players moving to pastures new this summer.

Lasse Sorensen had won plenty of plaudits for his performances down the right side at Sincil Bank since his arrival three years ago, having played in over 100 league matches for them in that time.

After scoring four league goals and setting up a further eight, the Dane was one of City’s most effective attacking outlets in the previous campaign, with only Danny Mandroui and Joe Taylor contributing to more goals with 13 involvements each.

The 24-year-old has since been snapped up by recently relegated Huddersfield Town ahead of the upcoming campaign, with Michael Duff preparing for life in the third tier with the Terriers, having been appointed earlier in the off-season.

A player of Payne’s calibre could be the perfect replacement for Skubala and his Imps side as they look to replace the effectiveness of their versatile defender, with wing-backs becoming an important part of their game plan under the former Leeds United coach.