Southampton have failed with a bid for Bournemouth’s 24-year-old full-back Max Aarons this summer, according to the Bournemouth Echo.
Russell Martin is preparing his squad for the Premier League after they beat Leeds United in the Championship playoff final last season.
The Saints boss wants a squad that can survive in the top flight but is also facing the prospect of losing a few key players.
West Ham are trying to sign Kyle Walker-Peters and Southampton are keen to bring in a right-back to replace him.
Aarons has been identified as a top target but their first bid for the defender was rejected by Bournemouth.
The Cherries wasted little time in knocking back the £5m offer from the newly promoted Premier League side.
Bournemouth signed the defender from Norwich for a fee of £7m last summer and the offer from the Saints was not something they would have been prepared to consider.
It remains to be seen whether Southampton put in an improved bid for Aarons in the coming days and weeks to convince Bournemouth to sell him.
