Southampton have reached an agreement with Manchester City over the permanent signing of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, 90min understands.

Bazunu spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Saints‘ bitter rivals Portsmouth in League One, where he performed well enough to clinch the club’s player of the season award.

The 20-year-old is also already firmly established in the Republic of Ireland squad, where he competes with Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers for the number-one spot.

His displays have been enough to convince Southampton to sign him on a permanent basis. 90min reported earlier this month that the two clubs were close to agreeing a deal that would cost Saints £15m in total once add-ons had been taken into account.

Sources have now confirmed that an agreement has been reached, with City expecting the move to be announced in the near future.

---

Listen now to 90min’s brand new podcast, Talking Transfers, with Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth. On their most packed show to date, the guys discuss Sadio Mane’s valuation as Liverpool win the race for Darwin Nunez, how Marc Roca joining Leeds could allow Kalvin Phillips to depart for long-time admirers Manchester City, the latest on Manchester United’s pursuits of Frenkie de Jong & Antony and much more.

---

90min understands that Bazunu has penned a long-term deal at St Mary’s, and he will be confident of clinching the number-one jersey from Alex McCarthy.

Saints prioritised signing a new goalkeeper as soon as it became clear that Fraser Forster would be moving to Tottenham instead of signing a new contract on the south coast.

---

For more from Matt O’Connor-Simpson, follow him on Twitter