Southampton have agreed a fee with VfL Bochum for center-back Armel Bella-Kotchap, The Athletic understands.
The Premier League club will pay around € 10 million for the 20-year-old Germany youth international, who made 22 Bundesliga appearances last season.
It is understood Southampton overcame competition from other Premier League and Bundesliga sides to secure the highly-rated defender.
Bella-Kotchap is believed to have completed a medical overnight ahead of his move to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
He is expected to sign a four-year contract with the option of an additional year.
The defender has been a first-team regular for Bochum over the past two seasons and has been capped nine times by Germany at under-21 level.
He is now set to become Southampton’s third signing of the summer after they completed deals for goalkeepers Gavin Bazunu and Mateusz Lis last week.
Bazanu, 20, arrived from Manchester City for £ 12 million, which could rise to a fee in the region of £ 15 million in potential add-ons.
Lis, 25, was signed on a free transfer after his contract at Turkish side Altay came to an end.
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