Sources: Southampton set sights on signing Angers star Doumbia to replace exit-bound star
Southampton have identified Angers left-back Souleyman Doumbia as a potential replacement for Ryan Bertrand, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The Saints are in the market for a new left-back with Bertrand's contract expiring in the summer.
A Southampton source has told Football Insider that Doumbia, 24, is on their shortlist of targets and they are monitoring his situation ahead of the summer window.
The Ivory Coast international is also on the radar of Lyon and Nice.
Doumbia has two years remaining on his contract with Angers, who he joined in January of last year on an initial loan.
That was converted into a permanent deal last summer at a cost of around £3million.
Doumbia has established himself as the first choice left-back this season, making 24 Ligue 1 starts among 27 appearances in all competitions.
He has also been capped three times by the Ivory Coast national team.
Southampton's interest in the Ivorian comes as Bertrand's lengthy spell at the club appears close to an end.
He has been a mainstay of the starting XI since 2014 and has made 240 appearances for the club in the seven years since signing from Chelsea.
The Champions league winner turns 32 in August and little has been said by Southampton about the possibility of him staying.
He was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in January and has also been suggested as a possible Leicester City target.
Intriguingly, Bertrand was left out of the squad for the recent 2-1 league defeat to Tottenham with a minor injury.
There have been suggestions in some quarters he may now been frozen out of the team for the rest of the season by Ralph Hasenhuttl.