Southampton striker Sekou Mara has reportedly arrived in France ahead of a summer switch to Strasbourg.
The 22-year-old was part of the Saints squad which secured promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt from the Championship last season.
That being said, Mara was used sparingly by Southampton boss Russell Martin, who possessed other options ahead of the Frenchman in the attacking pecking order.
The youngster made 28 Championship appearances for Saints, although only four of those arrived from the start of matches, totalling 547 minutes of second-tier football.
Since moving from French outfit Bordeaux to the South coast during the summer of 2022, Mara has featured on 64 occasions for Southampton, scoring eight times.
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Southampton's Mara to 'undergo medical' ahead of Strasbourg move
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Mara's two-year stint at St Mary's Stadium is set to conclude before the end of the summer window.
The report claims that the 22-year-old landed in France on Tuesday to complete the final stages of a move to Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg.
It is understood that Mara will now undergo a medical before officially signing in as a Strasbourg player for the 2024-25 campaign and beyond.
A financial package in the region of €12m (£10.2m) has supposedly been agreed between the Premier League Saints and Ligue 1 Strasbourg.
It is believed that personal terms were no issue for Mara, who is looking forward to earning regular first-team opportunities for his new employers.
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Sekou sale makes sense
Starting just four games in the Championship last season, it was hard to imagine Mara featuring much in the Premier League for Southampton during 2024-25.
The Frenchman's chances of game time were further reduced over the summer by the arrival of Ben Brereton Diaz, who impressed massively on loan at Sheffield United in the top flight last term.
On top of this, the Saints announced the arrival of £15m man Cameron Archer from Aston Villa earlier this month, pushing Mara further down the pecking order.
There would also have been the presence of the Saints' talisman Adam Armstrong for Mara to fight against, with the ex-Newcastle United striker recently signing a three-year extension to his South-coast deal.
Carter White
