By Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

25th Aug, 2023 | 10:24am

Sources: Southampton beat Leeds to Mason Holgate deal after £72,000-a-week Everton reveal

Southampton have agreed a deal to sign Everton defender Mason Holgate on loan, sources have told Football Insider.

Football Insider revealed on 26th June that the Toffees have agreed to let Holgate go out on loan this season.

It is believed to be a season-long loan with the option to make it permanent.

Holgate, 26, has attracted enquiries from Leeds and Sheffield United but Southampton have won the race for his signature.

It is understood that he has now been granted permission to head to the Championship club to put pen to paper on a deal.

One potential issue holding up a deal was Holgate’s wages at Everton, which automatically increased this summer to £72,000-a-week.

The defender has found it difficult to make an impact under Sean Dyche after previously being named as the club’s Player of the Year under former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Holgate still has two years remaining on his contract with the Merseyside club.

He has failed to even make the bench in Everton’s opening two matches of the 2023/24 season, with Dyche preferring the centre-back duo of James Tarkowswki and Michael Keane with Ben Godfrey providing defensive depth on the bench.

Holgate struggled for minutes last season too, with only 559 minutes of first-team action across all competitions in 2022/23.

He started the campaign by featuring in all four of Everton’s opening fixtures but was then ruled out with a knee injury and dropped to the bench after the arrival of Dyche.

In other news, Southampton make contact over signing West Ham star Ben Johnson