Southampton have slashed their asking price for Tyler Dibling to £51 million with Manchester United still in the hunt for the 19-year-old winger, according to a report.
Southampton endured a miserable return to the Premier League last season after winning the Championship play-off final in 2024.
The Saints produced one of the worst campaign in the division’s history, becoming the first side to be relegated with seven games remaining, as well as to first lose 25 of their opening 31 matches.
They finished rock bottom of the table with only 12 points – 27 away from safety with a goal-difference of minus 60 – and only two wins all season.
But throughout these torrid performances, Dibling was a bright light for Southampton fans to latch on to – with a host of England’s biggest clubs also taking notice of his displays.
The England U-21 international impressed on the right-wing with a potent pairing of speed and strength for a player so young, while demonstrating skill and fearlessness in equal measure when taking defenders on.
One of Dibling’s more eye-catching performances against United in at St Mary’s in September. Despite the Saints ultimately losing 3-0, they played far better than United in the first half and deserved to win, with Dibling running rings around Diogo Dalot for much of the game.
Evidently, United’s hierarchy came away impressed as Dibling quickly emerged as a target for the Red Devils with reports linking the winger with a move to Old Trafford throughout the remainder of the season.
There was also interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, however. And in response, Southampton slapped down a prohibitive £100 million price tag for their attacking starlet in a bid to ward off the country’s bigger clubs.
But the Saints’ return to the Championship has weakened their negotiating position as Dibling is too elite a talent to not be plying his trade in the Premier League.
As such, Spanish outlet Fichajes reveals Dibling now has a “market value of £51 million” with a red-hot transfer race emerging between United and their rivals.
“Liverpool are on the lookout for a young talent who could be the icing on the cake for their forward line. A free agent in 2027, [Dibling] has attracted interest from Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace this summer.
“With a valuation of €60 million, the winger has sparked a bidding war that also includes giants such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City. This is sure to be fierce competition for Dibling, who is ready to shine away from The Saints.”
However, United are currently locked in negotiations with Brentford to sign Bryan Mbeumo – a player who operates in the same area as Dibling. It is unlikely the Reds would pursue a deal for the 19-year-old winger if they have already spent big on that position this summer.
But, despite the fact that the two clubs have been locked in negotiations for over a month now, with widespread confidence a deal will be struck, Brentford continue to refuse to compromise on their valuation of Mbeumo and United’s bids have, thus far, been rejected.
If an agreement cannot be reached for United’s first-choice target for the right-wing, a pursuit of Dibling may quickly be reignited with Southampton’s price slash making a move for the youngster even more attractive.
Feature image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
