Southampton close to landing £10m man as manager admits ‘talks are ongoing’

There was barely a dry eye in the house as the Southampton target said his goodbyes.

Serenaded by the home supporters on Sunday afternoon, the seemingly Saints-bound Justin Bijlow departs as a modern day Feyenoord icon.

The man between the sticks during their 2023 Eredivisie success under Arne Slot. A Rotterdam-born boy who lived the dream of all who grow up in the shadows of De Kuip, rising through the ranks to make almost 150 first-team appearances for his beloved Feyenoord while accumulating seven trophies along the way.

After confirming talks with Manchester United in 2023 and finding himself under consideration by Slot’s Liverpool side, Bijlow should finally be on his way to England this week.

HITC understands that Southampton have made a bid worth £10 million.

A loan-to-buy arrangement is not out of the question either, reporter Martijn Krabbendam telling Voetbal International that Feyenoord are unlikely to stand in his way with less than 12 months remaining on Bijlow’s contract.

Southampton likely to sign Feyenoord ace Justin Bijlow

Ahead of yesterday’s 1-1 derby draw with Sparta Rotterdam, Slot’s successor Brian Priske admitted that the negotiations to take Bijlow away from the Netherlands were ongoing even if nothing has been signed at this stage.

“I can’t confirm Justin’s departure yet,” Priske tells ESPN. “He is a true Feyenoord player. It’s no secret that talks are ongoing, but we’ll only let you know when everything has been finalised.

“I’m happy that we have him. His presence on the bench will help us.”

Bijlow has lost his place as the club’s number one since Slot’s departure. He started on the bench away to Sparta Rotterdam, with former Schalke glovesman Timon Wellenreuther again given the nod.

Left-back Gijs Smal, meanwhile, is disappointed that he only had a few weeks of training alongside Bijlow, having joined from FC Twente on a free transfer earlier in the summer.

“It does something of course, especially with him,” Smal tells Voetbal Primeur. “He is a boy of the club and it is a pity that he is leaving the club.”

Bijlow is likely to be installed as Southampton’s first choice once a deal is concluded.

34-year-old Alex McCarthy started again during Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest with Gavin Bazunu still injured.

Russell Martin wants a goalkeeper at St Mary’s

“We are a goalkeeper short now because Gavin Bazunu is injured. We have Joe Lumley and Alex McCarthy as senior goalkeepers,” Martin told the Daily Echo last week, 26-year-old Bijlow a player well suited to his possession-based tactics.

“The goalkeeper you have mentioned (Bijlow) is probably one on the long list that we have watched and looked at. Once it is near close to being done, then obviously we’ll have a discussion about it.

“I don’t know who it will be yet, but we definitely need help in that department.”

Former Eredivisie star Wim Kieft is critical of the way Feyenoord have handled the Bijlow situation.

He feels that, with the goalkeeper’s value falling by half in the last a year, Priske’s side should have done more to extend his contract or rather should have cashed in when Man United came calling.

“Bijlow is a Feyenoord face. An Oranje player. A great keeper who has always delivered and represents a lot of value,” the ex-PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and Torino ace De Telegraaf.

“Because the new coach Brian Priske has the idea to put Bijlow on the bench, now he is worth almost nothing.

“Pure capital destruction.”