With Dejan Lovren desperate to join his head which is already in Liverpool, it is unsurprising that Saints are linked with not one but two central defenders, both of whom have links with Ronald Koeman.

latest name to be linked with Saints is Feyenoord defender Stefan De Vrij who recently played in all seven of Holland's World Cup matches in Brazil, at 22 years old he looks to be just the sort of player that Saints should be in the market for.

Although it would be unfair to say that De Vrij was nurtured by Koeman given that he already had a season or two under his belt when the new Saints manager arrived at the Rotterdam Club, he blossomed under him and became Captain and made his debut for Holland in 2012 now having won 19 full caps for his country.

Saints face opposition from Manchester United for his signing according to the national press, however Saints could be in the driving seat given that United in rebuilding mode might want a more high profile more experienced defender in their defence given that they already have teenager Luke Shaw there, Van Gaal will be aware that he has to get things right and that he needs star names in not promising youngsters.

The key could be Ronald Koeman who knows the player well in transfer terms I would say that De Vrij's right foot could already be at Southampton.

We are also linked with Ron Vlaar of Aston Villa who unsurprisingly is also linked with United, again Koeman has history with Vlaar at Feyenoord as does Van Gaal with the Dutch national side, from a United perspective Van Gaal would sit with their faithful far more easier in that he is an established Premier league player and has the pedigree, but conversely he might just be a little too old at 29 for United to go for, the same could be said for Saints, but we need some stability at the back and Concrete Ron could give us that.

One central defender who we were linked with earlier in the summer but on whom the trail appears to have gone cold is Virgil Van Dijk of Celtic, again a Dutchman the 23 year old although not having won a full cap for his country yet could be a useful addition to the Saints squad.

Photo: Action Images

brady100 added 10:12 - Jul 22 I would be VERY surprised if we got anywhere near signing a player like De Vrij. Even last year with a much stronger squad and greater ambition I would say this would have been a real coup. I'm not sure what's going on behind the scenes but our distinct lack of urgency has seen Caulker sign for QPR, and us no nearer finding an adequate replacement for Lovren. Most would argue that even if Lovren had stayed we would still need another CB. If we start the new season with Mayuka, Sharp and Hooiveld very much involved then for me it will show just how far backwards we have stepped.

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SaintDavo added 10:25 - Jul 22 If it was doable I would suggest we sign De Vrij and either Vlaar or Caulker, because if/when lovren goes we would in my opionion need 2 CB's. Still hoping we get an experienced LB as well with Matt Target as back up, then the squad would be starting to take shape...... time will tell but would be nice to see business conluded sooner rather than later for obvious reasons.

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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 10:36 - Jul 22 Spot on Brady100 and SaintDavo. De Vrij would be a major, major coup and pair him up with either Vlaar or Caulker would be great. Saints would need to move fast though before one of the big boys come in for them. We need to make a couple of major signings soon to halt the uproar. Especially with Lovren and Schneiderlin on the verge of leaving. Also, Michael Vorm is available for £5m. Should Saints not be snapping him up? One of the best goalkeepers in the league. Much more reliable than the occasional clown Boruc.

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SaintNick added 11:02 - Jul 22 I dont think there is a distinct lack of urgency behind the scenes, Koeman has stated he is aware of where we need to strengthen I am sure we are working hard to do so, but signing players is not as simple as making an offer etc the quality we are looking for is in demand we have to work hard to get our main targets, if Caulker goes to QPR its because they are offering him a better deal not because we have sat back

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stmichael added 12:42 - Jul 22 We are being reactive and not proactive which is a bad thing for a football club. We will not be able to sign guys like De Frij. He will have options and all he can see like everyone else in football is a club who have lost their manager and close on 6 major players despite wanting to keep them all.
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schatfield added 12:43 - Jul 22 Dont forget, we still have a limit on the wages we pay..we all know that doesnt apply in QPR land who happily pay whatever wages no matter what it does to the club
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saintmark1976 added 12:46 - Jul 22 Was Mr Koeman at the correct venue? He looks as though he was about to pad up before opening the bating for Holland.
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bstokesaint added 13:24 - Jul 22 Totally agree with your comment above Nick. Who knows what is going on behind the scenes? Although I can understand the fans' frustration at losing a number of their favourite players from last season the disappointment and aggression levelled at the board for not signing Caulker and a few others seems a little unfair. I sincerely doubt the board are sitting on their hands right now. There must be constant discussion on the subject, but ultimately do we want to rush through big deal signings like Osvaldo and Ramirez? Also I don't see why we wouldn't be able to sign anyone from Feyenoord. Unless Koeman was a complete flop or considered a complete ****** to work with (which from most reliable accounts appears to be on the contrary, he wasn't) then you'd expect him to hold some sway with his former players. If Cortese and a virtual unknown in Pochettino, could convince Lovren and others they'd be playing CL then why can't RoKo do the same? He's a household football name already. And yes incoming players will see exiting players, but they'll be sold a longer term plan. I've said it before it's a new dawn of a new era. Fans are understandably a little apprehensive, but something different doesn't mean it won't be the beginning of another good season.

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brady100 added 14:05 - Jul 22 I'm not suggesting the board are sitting on their hands. I do however think they are being slightly naive in waiting for departures before pressing ahead with their own transfer plans. Lovren and Morgan are almost certain to leave and even if we had kept last seasons squad there was still areas for improvement. It's just my opinion and I hope I am wrong, but neither De Vrij or Rojo will have any intention of joining Southampton.

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landsdownsaint added 22:11 - Jul 22 Ask anyone properly connected to the club and they will tell you Saints are in turmoil regarding the players we are losing .
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bstokesaint added 22:40 - Jul 22 Landsdown to be fair I heard people "connected" with the club saying how awful it was under Cortese's leadership. We will lose more players before we rebuild and find our new level. We'll be able to see if we're in turmoil a couple of weeks into August. I'm personally put my faith in the new man in charge and am hoping Ralph has been appointed for a good reason.
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