With Mamadou Sakho yet to secure a move away from Liverpool this month, the centre-back is believed to be considering two potential destinations.
Sakho is set to depart the club before the end of the January transfer window, having seen his first-team prospects ruled out by Jurgen Klopp following a series of transgressions.
After returning to the fold from a lengthy suspension for an ultimately overturned UEFA drug ruling, Sakho was sent home from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States for violating Klopp’s rules.
The 26-year-old then criticised his treatment on social media in September, as he spent the first half of the season with the U23s.
With less than a week to go before the transfer window closes, however, and Sakho remains on Merseyside, despite interest from the likes of Crystal Palace, Swansea City and Sevilla.
But according to French outlet Le 10 Sport, he is currently weighing up offers from Southampton and Spartak Moscow.
The two clubs are believed to be heavily interested in signing the centre-back, presenting his most likely options of sealing the permanent move Liverpool are pushing for.
Sakho is said to prefer to remain in the Premier League, giving Southampton the advantage, though whether they would meet the Reds’ £20 million valuation remains to be seen.
Southampton, who take to Anfield on Wednesday night for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool, are in desperate need of reinforcement at the back after Jose Fonte’s move to West Ham United.
This leaves Claude Puel with Virgil van Dijk, Maya Yoshida, Florin Gardos and Jack Stephens as his centre-back options, with Van Dijk’s recent injury highlighting the Saints’ lack of depth.
Sakho would provide the ideal replacement for Fonte, having proved his quality over three seasons with the Reds, joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, in a deal worth £18 million.
He arrived alongside Tiago Ilori that day, and should follow his fellow defender through the Anfield exit, after the Portuguese joined Reading earlier in the window.
Liverpool have already seen four players leave the club this month, with Joe Maguire joining Fleetwood Town on a permanent deal, and Pedro Chirivella (Go Ahead Eagles) and Lazar Markovic (Hull City) departing on loan.
Brooks Lennon is expected to seal a temporary switch to MLS side Real Salt Lake in the near future, while Connor Randall and Cameron Brannagan could leave on loan to the Football League.
Klopp isn’t likely to add to his squad before the January 31 deadline, however, insisting the quality required is not available to him in the winter market.
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