If Saints want to sign Brazilian international Leandro Damião this summer, it appears they will face stiff competition from elsewhere.

Reports yesterday claimed that Russian superpower Zenit St Petersburg have joined the pursuit of the player and are submitting a £17m bid for the 23-year-old striker.

But Italian club Napoli, where Rafa Benítez is now in charge, are said to be the favourites to secure the signature of Damião, who plays for Brazilian side Internacional.

The forward is one of a number of players on the St Mary’s radar this summer, with manager Mauricio Pochettino confirming last week that the club holds an interest.

As of last week, though, Internacional claimed they had received no offers for Damião and said they would not consider anything less than about £21m.

However, the player’s agent has since been quoted as saying that there is firm interest in the player, who has long been linked with a move to Tottenham.

Damião has been capped 15 times for Brazil, scoring three goals. He also represented his country at the London 2012 Olympic Games, finishing as top scorer with six goals in five appearances.

Saints are keen to add to their forward line this summer, and have been linked with some high-profile names, including Roma’s Pablo Osvaldo.

But latest reports suggest that the Argentine, who played under Pochettino at Espanyol, could move to Manchester City.