Southampton manager Russell Martin could elect to keep Sekou Mara around at St Mary's beyond Deadline Day despite interest in his future from elsewhere, journalist Alex Crook has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.

Southampton latest transfer news - Sekou Mara

Nizaar Kinsella, who is a journalist for The Evening Standard, has reported on X that Mara could head to Ligue 1 outfit Lille to add some depth to their forward line before the transfer deadline, as he stated: "Southampton forward Sekou Mara is in early talks about joining French giants Lille. The France Under-21s international is open to a move but it remains at an early stage. Lille reached the Conference League last night and need depth."

On Thursday, L'Equipe claimed that Bundesliga side Werder Bremen have identified Mara as a potential replacement for Germany international Niclas Füllkrug, who has recently joined German giants Borussia Dortmund.

The French outlet claim that Werder Bremen are keen on bringing £25k-a-week earner Mara, who joined Southampton for £11 million from Bordeaux last year, on a loan deal with an option to buy next summer.

Nevertheless, BILD (via The Southern Daily Echo) have revealed that Werder Bremen have been knocked back in their attempts to lay claim to Mara's signature this window.

Southampton striker Che Adams has an uncertain future on the South Coast as Wolves have taken an interest in the Scotland international ahead of the deadline, according to The Daily Mail.

However, transfer expert David Ornstein has indicated that any notion of Adams heading to Molineux looks to have hit the breaks, leaving the former Birmingham City forward in a state of flux concerning his next career steps in the final hours of market activity.

What has Alex Crook said about Sekou Mara?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT journalist Crook has indicated his belief that Southampton boss Martin may be tempted to keep Mara around on the South Coast beyond the nearing transfer deadline.

When asked about Mara's future at Southampton beyond this window, Crook told GMS: "I don't know about Sekou Mara; I just suspect they might want to keep him around."