TWTD understands that Southampton's Rudi Skácel is the man Jim Magilton is targeting in order to solve Town's lack of left-sided midfielders. The Czech international is well-known to new international scout Simon Hunt, who took the 28-year-old to Hearts during his time at Tynecastle.

The Saints are believed to want £1 million for the 5ft 10in tall midfielder, who started his career with Hradec Králové in his home country, moving on to Slavia Prague in 2002.

After just over a year with Slavia, during which time he won the Czech Cup and was in the Czech team which won the 2002 European U21 Championships, Skácel joined Olympique Marseille in France for €2.5 million, where spent two years but failed to make a serious impression, particularly after manager Alain Perrin moved on.

Loan spells at Panathinaikos and then Hearts followed, before a permanent £1.6 million switch to Southampton in the summer of 2006, the Trutnov-born player signing a four-year deal.

In January, Skácel joined Hertha Berlin in the German Bundesliga in an attempt to win himself a place in the Czech squad at Euro 2008, something he felt was unlikely if he was playing in the Championship.

Skácel, who has been capped five times by his country, scoring his only goal on his debut against Canada in 2003, was called into the Czech squad for the tournament as a late replacement but failed to make an appearance.

Hertha are believed to have had an option to sign Skácel but have decided against making the move a permanent one.

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