FORMER Manchester United defender Demetri Mitchell revealed his old agent made up a transfer link to Saints to try and get his client a better deal.

The 26 year old was reportedly a loan target of Saints under Ronald Koeman in August 2014, with the Dutchman said to be personally interested.

Only a teenager at the time, Mitchell was contracted to Manchester United until 2016 and had been representing England at the youth level.

Mitchell now plays for Exeter City in League One, having made one substitute appearance for United during the 2016-17 season. 

Mitchell did not go out on his first loan spell until nearly four years after the rumour emerged, in January 2018, when he joined Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts. 

Former prodigy Mitchell is now outspoken on his social media profile, revealing insight into his career and the football world. 

He has revealed that his former intermediary completely made up the rumour linking him to Saints in order to get him a better contract in United's under-18s. 

Mitchell said: "I remember playing in the under-18s at United and my old agent, without telling me, put in the Mirror newspaper that Southampton wanted me on loan in the Prem to try to get me a better deal.

"I felt a right idiot when I had to go into training in the morning. The coaches were giving me all kinds of stick."

The newspaper report at the time detailed: "Koeman, looking to rebuild the Saints team after a string of well-documented first-team departures, is understood to be impressed by Mitchell's willingness to take on opponents and his composure in front of goal.

"Capped at Under-16 and Under-17 level, the teenager is poised to land a new deal at Old Trafford to stave off the growing interest in him."

Manchester-born Mitchell now has over 75,000 followers on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, where he discusses a wide range of topics while currently sidelined with an ACL injury.