These 2 defenders would be perfect for Southampton in January

Christopher Jullien

The Toulouse centre-back is not necessarily a household name, but signing him could be another hidden gem to come out of French football.

The French defender has had an extremely impressive debut season in Ligue 1. Since arriving in Toulouse from SC Freiburg in the summer, Jullien has started 16 of his new side’s 19 league games.

Jullien has kept four clean sheets so far in the league this season. He has also scored three league goals, as well as earning three man of the match awards.

One of these awards was for his outstanding performance in Toulouse’s 2-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in September.

According to whoscored.com, Jullien has the third highest average match rating of any centre-back in France’s top-flight. Only Saint-Etienne’s Loic Perrin and PSG’s Thiago Silva have outshone him this season.

Compared to Fonte, the young Frenchman has won more aerial duels, made more clearances and let fewer opposition players dribble past him this season. Jullien has also won three times as many offsides as Fonte has.

Fonte may have a superior tackling, interception and blocks average than the 23-year old, but Jullien’s significantly higher match rating shows just how much of an influence he has been this season.

Jullien is known for having an eye for goal after scoring nine league goals in 33 Ligue 2 appearances last season, whilst on loan at Dijon.

The Frenchman’s contract may not be up until the middle of 2020, but will Puel be able to attract Jullien to the south coast with the bright lights of the Premier League on offer.