Fulham manager Scott Parker has made the 21-year-old defensive midfielder monitored through coaches betting on Benfica, while Milan has also made his interest known.
But the Saints have now entered the race for him as they seek a long-term replacement for former Captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg after his move to Tottenham.
Boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has been embroiled by the lack of authority in this picture that his team has shown in the first part of the season.
And that can only force him to make a company offer Luis, one of the most productive young talents in his position in Europe, a normal Premier League football.
Luis played 21 games for Benfica and has scored a goal since he was promoted to the first team.
The Portuguese ace, nicknamed “The Octopus”, had in the past attracted the interest of Manchester United.
But Southampton can do his part for Luis after his unstable start to the season.
Hasenhuttl suffered a disastrous 5–2 loss to Tottenham on Sunday.
Spurs star Son Heung-min scored four goals before Harry Kane won fifth.
The Saints are a victory in the new crusade after a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.
Southampton also discussed the possibility of wasting Danny Ings this month, with Tottenham expressing interest.
But Hasenhuttl showed that the 28-year-old “had absolutely no chance” of leaving.
© News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Headquarters: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or industrial names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided under the popular terms and situations of News Group Newspapers ‘Limited in accordance with our privacy and cookie policy. To request information about a curtain replica, visit our distribution site. Check out our online press dossier. For any other requests, please contact us. To view all the contents of The Sun, use the site map. Sun’s online page is regulated through the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO)
Our hounds aspire to precision, but we make mistakes. To learn more about our claims policy and register a claim, click here.