Man Utd and Aston Villa warned over pursuit of emerging Southampton star

Southampton boss warns Man Utd and Aston Villa over pursuit of emerging star

Southampton manager Russell Martin has warned Manchester United and Aston Villa it will cost far more than £21m to sign 18-year-old winger Tyler Dibling.

Having impressed during the Saints' promotion-winning campaign last season, Dibling has been a regular under Martin in the Premier League, making 14 appearances and scoring once for the division's bottom side.

Dibling's form has reportedly caught the eye of both United and Villa, with rumours suggesting Southampton have stuck a price tag of £21m on the winger's head.

"I'm not sure you'll get his left foot for that," Martin laughed.

Martin did, however, confess Southampton are currently struggling to tie Dibling down to a new contract to replace his current terms, which expire in 2027.

"We have offered him a contract, a really good contract for someone his age," the boss stressed. "At the minute, I don't think his agent agrees, so that's where we're at.

"I think Tyler wants it done, I think Tyler's parents want it done, so we'll see how long that takes. There is an option. We can extend. I don't think we want to do that - we want to reward Tyler for his performances.

"I've spoken to Tyler's mum and dad about it, I've spoken to Tyler, but then I'm not involved in any of the negotiations - that's down to Phil [Parsons, chief executive] and the gang, the owners and Tyler's agent - and that's where it gets tricky."

Dibling is a product of the Southampton academy but did leave the club to join Chelsea in the summer of 2022 as part of the first wave of youth signings under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. However, he failed to settle in London and was allowed to return to Southampton later that summer.

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