Latrell Mitchell’s arrival at Redfern is reportedly set to force talented youngster Adam Doueihi out of the club.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports coach Wayne Bennett told the 21-year-old on Wednesday that he was free to negotiate with rival clubs despite having two years to run on his contract.

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It is understood Bennett thinks highly of Doueihi but will not stand in his way should he seek an early release.

Doueihi finished the 2019 season as Souths’ starting fullback having claimed the No.1 jersey from Alex Johnston in Round 17. But with Mitchell almost certain to take over the fullback duties, Doueihi would be battling with James Roberts, Dane Gagai and Johnston, Campbell Graham and Braidon Burns for starting spots in a jam-packed Rabbitohs backline.

A move to the Wests Tigers could be on the cards with Michael Maguire flushed with up to a million dollar to spend.

The Tigers missed out on Mitchell and are in the market for a new fullback. However, they have reportedly been put off by Doueihi’s $500,000 price tag.

Souths do not need to offload players to be salary-cap compliant and would be unwilling to absorb any of his wages for a rival club.

The Tigers currently have 27 spots filled in their NRL top 30 and will need to sign or promote two more players by March 1.

They will likely keep one spot open until the June 30 deadline, when the market traditionally balloons with agitated players.

The wait-and-see strategy highlights a reluctance from the club to repeat past mistakes of hastily signing players on long-term deals.

Already they have been linked to Cronulla fullback Matt Moylan, Brisbane playmaker Anthony Milford, and former winger Josh Addo-Carr.