By Craig Scott

18th Jun, 2021 | 11:40am

Southampton believe they have won against Leeds United in Romain Perraud race

Southampton are confident they have beaten Leeds United and Newcastle United in the race to sign Brest left-back Romain Perraud, according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook.

Writing via his personal Twitter account on Friday morning, Crook reported that Southampton are “close to reaching a successful conclusion” in their bid to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman.

Football Insider reported three weeks ago that Perraud was the Whites’ number one left-back target this summer but it seems as though Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa are almost certain to miss out on him.

Big blow

Leeds probably won’t have to go back to the drawing board, as the old adage says, but it’s certainly a setback for the Yorkshire club.

Bielsa needs a new left-back – or even two new left-backs – this summer due to Ezgjan Alioski’s seemingly imminent departure from Elland Road.

Alioski, who scored for North Macedonia at the European Championships on Thursday, is out of contract at the end of this month and will need replacing.

Perraud is an attack-minded left-back who ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan said “will fit perfectly in at Leeds United” in an interview with Football Insider.

Whelan also added that Perraud is a “creative player” who ” likes to get up and down that left-hand side”.

At Brest this season, Perraud scored three goals and supplied seven assists in 36 Ligue 1 appearances.

We’ll probably have to watch on as the 23-year-old plays for Southampton next season though.

But at the end of the day, his loss is greater than ours.

In other Leeds United news, Kalvin Phillips has shared what Liam Cooper text him saying ahead of the England game against Scotland.