Southampton now in 'advanced talks' to potentially sign £18m-rated maestro for nothing

Southampton are reportedly now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Tete as a free agent.

It has been reported that Brazilian players at Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, including Tete, are now potentially looking to terminate their contracts, following Russia’s invasion of the country.

It means that Tete would become a free agent, and so could be signed by clubs from the Premier League, although he would not be able to play until next season.

As per talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, the St. Mary’s faithful are one of a number of teams to have held ‘advanced talks’ over Tete.

However, Leicester City and Brentford are also ‘keen’ on his signature, and he also has ‘offers’ from AC Milan, Atalanta and Benfica.

If Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side could sign Tete as a free agent, it would certainly represent a bargain.

Currently rated at £18m, the Brazilian has managed to score ten goals and make two assists in total over all competitions so far this term, including a goal and an assist to help Shakhtar qualify for the UEFA Champions League (Transfermarkt).

At just 22 years of age, Tete still has a high ceiling as well, and even if things did not quite work out at the Saints, they could still sell him on for a tidy profit.

In other news, find out which position is now a priority for Southampton to sign here!

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