Southampton are amongst the increasing number of Premier League clubs understood to be eyeing Blues left-back Aaron Cresswell. Aston Villa were recently reported to be ready to revive last summer’s interest in the 23-year-old, while Fulham and Crystal Palace have also been mentioned in connection with the ex-Tranmere man.
The Saints regularly sent scouts to Portman Road last season, both during Nigel Adkins’s time in charge and after Mauricio Pochettino took over as boss.
Whether they firm up their interest may depend on them holding on to £10 million-rated 17-year-old Luke Shaw, who has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.
While the Blues will be looking for rather more for Cresswell, perhaps as much as £5 million, an offer in excess of £3 million may well be enough to tempt Town to sell with Mick McCarthy using the cash to strengthen his squad for the season ahead.
Interest in Cresswell will come as no surprise to the Town boss, who said that he was expecting it towards the end of the season. The Blues manager said he views the defender as "a Premier League footballer in the making”.
The left-back, who is contracted to the Blues until June 2015, joined Town from Tranmere at the end of his terms at Prenton Park in the summer of 2011.
Rovers are entitled to 20% of the profit Town would make on the £420,000 they paid for Cresswell if he is sold. A Football League tribunal set a compensation figure of an initial £240,000 plus milestone clauses with only a £100,000 payment on promotion to the Premier League not triggered.