Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has confirmed an interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend - but admitted that a move is unlikely.
The 23-year-old is believed to have been the subject of a £12m bid from the Saints earlier this week, with Spurs reportedly rejecting the offer.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the Dutchman described the situation as "very difficult", and remains pessimistic over his chances of luring Townsend to St Mary's.
He said: "It's difficult because [Townsend is] one of the players on our list. It's very difficult but I don't expect good news on that."
Koeman has spent in the region of £44m this summer on recruiting the likes of Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle, Fraser Forster, Florin Gardos and Shane Long.
Southampton travel to West Ham United on Saturday still looking for their first Premier League win of the season.
