SAINTS have agreed a deal for their first signing of the transfer window, with centre-back Joshua Quarshie set to join from Hoffenheim. 

The 20 year old defender has made 28 appearances in the second tier of German football, and stands at around six-foot five-inches tall.

Hoffenheim’s Quarshie spent last season on loan at Greuther Furth and clocked in the fastest sprint speed in 2. Bundesliga, at 37.04km/h - faster than Kamaladen Sulemana’s record speed at the 2022 World Cup. 

The Daily Echo reported that Saints were close to completing the signing of an unnamed player from Germany earlier this week, and that player has been confirmed as Quarshie.

Fabrizio Romano added that Saints will pay a fee of around £3m for the German youth international, who has represented his country’s under-20s on 11 occasions. 

Quarshie, contracted until 2027 at his current club, was also called up to Germany's under-21s in March but was left as an unused substitute. 

Two-footed Quarshie is considered a first team signing and will link up with Will Still's squad when Saints return for pre-season at the end of June. 

The summer transfer window opens officially on Sunday, June 1, before closing briefly on June 10 and reopening on June 16, until September 1.

Formerly Hoffenheim head of scouting, Saints technical director Johannes Spors is overseeing the St Mary's side's transfers and recruitment.

Asked about transfers in March, Spors told us: "I think players need to be physically strong. They need to be fast. They need to have some aggressiveness in their mentality."

Spors is also set to hire Hoffenheim’s youth squad planner, 36 year old Tim Lederer, who has worked with Quarshie, to be Saints head of scouting.