Southampton could make a move for Swansea City midfielder Ryan Manning in the summer transfer window, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.
Has Manning shone this season?
Saints have suffered a horrible season in the Premier League, finishing the campaign bottom of the table, with their relegation confirmed a number of weeks ago now. The key now is for the club to secure a quickfire return to the top flight, rather than languishing in the Championship for an extended period of time.
It looks as though Russell Martin will be coming in as the new Southampton manager this summer, with Ruben Selles departing now that the season is finished. The 37-year-old is a young and upcoming boss who has been in charge of Swansea since 2021, but he now looks ready to make the next step.
It could be that Martin aims to bring some of his players with his to St Mary's this summer and it looks as though Manning could be at the front of the queue, in that respect.
Could Manning join Southampton this summer?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that the 26-year-old is a signing that "would make sense", heading to the south coast with his current boss in the process:
"Saints have got to be careful about the level of spending, so this would look like a signing that would make sense."
Manning could be an astute summer signing by Southampton, with the fact that he will be available on a free transfer – his current Swansea deal expires next month – making it less of a risky purchase. The £9,000-a-week midfielder has been a good servant for the Swans, scoring seven goals and registering 19 assists in 109 appearances, not to mention being hailed as "outstanding" by Martin himself.
At 26, the midfielder is at a good point in his career to come in and hit the ground running, providing Saints with quality and depth in midfielder, and he is arguably coming off the back of one of his best season to date, having started 41 of Swansea's 46 Championship matches, scoring five goals and chipping in with 10 assists in the competitions.
Manning has also won six caps for the Republic of Ireland, which also highlights the pedigree he possesses, and he is someone who could have a positive influence at St Mary's, especially as Martin knows him so well as a player.
