Leeds United join Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace in chase to sign Southampton FC star | OneFootball

Leeds are looking to make a splash next season when they return to the Premier League.

Leeds United have joined the transfer battle for Southampton playmaker Mateus Fernandes, with both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in the running for the Portuguese starlet.

In what has been an utterly dreary campaign for everyone at St Mary's Stadium, one or two bright sparks have emerged from it with some positivity.

Fernandes is among them. The midfielder, who joined Southampton from Sporting Lisbon last summer, only cost the Saints £15 million but has been a revelation in midfield for them.

But, as is the case with any relegated side and their biggest talents, the higher-ranking clubs are circling and looking to fleece Southampton.

The Hampshire side are no strangers to this situation. They were the biggest sellers the last time they went down, generating £145 million from player departures, and their chairman, Dragan Solak, is targeting a £100 million income via the same revenue stream this time around.

Leeds, Crystal Palace & Nottm Forest to battle over Mateus Fernandes

The sale of the 20-year-old, who the Saints reportedly value at £30 million, would make up quite a large chunk of that target pretty quickly, and the positive news for them is that Leeds are willing to make an offer that comes close to that mark, according to Alan Nixon.

They are now prepared to battle Palace, whose own interest in Fernandes was reported by Nixon following their FA Cup final win over Manchester City, with Nottingham Forest also reportedly keen as of last week.

The Eagles are looking to bulk out their squad for next season's Europa League, which they qualified for by winning the world's older domestic cup competition.

Leeds are looking to make similar additions this summer too as they prepare for the grueling fight to stay in the Premier League as a newly promoted side - the same battle that the Saints were convincingly defeated in.

They intend to raise £120 million from selling shares in order to help fund their upcoming summer recruitment as well as the redevelopment of Elland Road, as per The Athletic.

Nixon stated that Southampton will sell Fernandes this summer, who is also admired by Nottingham Forest, as per The Telegraph, plus Aston Villa and West Ham United, as per Football Insider. His previous report suggested that clubs valued him at £10 million below Southampton's asking price. It's now just a question of who will present the most intriguing offer first.

Leeds may find it tough to convince Fernandes that they are a better option than Crystal Palace

Because of the offer of European football, and the threat of another relegation back to the Championship, although everyone expects Leeds to fare better than Southampton have in the top flight, Fernandes may see Palace as the more attractive proposition.

He said following his side's 2-0 defeat to Everton in their last outing that he missed the winning feeling, something he and his teammates have only experienced twice in the league this season.

After a brutal campaign like that, you can certainly see why the risk of another scrap at the bottom may not appeal to the midfielder as much as trips around Europe with the south London club.