After Southampton sold their two top scorers over the last couple of seasons, they made the bold call not to directly replace them as such.

Graziano Pelle moved to SD Luneng in the Chinese Super League, while Sadio Mane joined Liverpool in a hugely expensive move.

The pair scored a combined 44 Premier League goals over the 2014/15 and 2015/16 campaigns, yet Claude Puel chose not to replace either with an out and out striker.

Instead, he put his faith in Charlie Austin – who joined in January and scored 18 goals in his only full Premier League season with QPR – and Nathan Redmond, who Puel had converted from a winger after signing the youngster from Norwich City.

While Austin has done well and scored eight goals in 16 games this season, Redmond has struggled on the goals front.

The 22-year-old has looked lively and had created plenty of chances for himself but only has three goals so far.

While the England U21 international is one of the most popular players amongst the Saints propping up the bar, there’s little doubt those on the South Coast could use more firepower.

Southampton are currently in tenth and will need more goals to fire them into the European spots.

Witht that in mind, here are FOUR strikers we at the Tavern think they should sign.

ALASSANE PLEA

With Mario Balotelli currently grabbing the headlines with his superb form in Ligue
1, you could be forgiven for not knowing there is another striker on fire for Nice.

Alassane Plea is the French club’s top scorer with seven goals and, together with Balotelli, he has fired his club to the top of the league.

Quick enough to handle the Premier League and strong enough to hold up the ball, Puel should look to sign this gem from his old club.

ANTHONY MODESTE

Another French striker ripping it up in a foreign league, Anthony Modeste has left an ill-fated spell in England behind to rebuild his reputation.

The 28-year-old moved to FC Cologne the season before this one after strong spells at Bastia and Hoffenheim and currently has an astonishing 11 goals from his first nine games.

Many Premier League fans will remember him for his underwhelming form at Blackburn Rovers, but how many players excelled themselves under Steve Kean?

ANDREA BELOTTI

Should the Saints wish to go for an Italian to follow Graziano Pelle, they could do a lot worse than Andrea Belotti.

Belotti has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs already but Puel could pip them all to the 22-year-old’s signature with a January bid.

Belotti would provide a more mobile alternative to Charlie Austin and clearly knows where the goal is and has eight goals in ten games already.

SALOMON RONDON

Salomon Rondon may well be among the league’s top scorers if he joins another club.

The Venezuelan is incredibly strong and also had a decent turn of pace, while he has demonstrated his clever finishing a few times already.

Rondon has a difficult job at West Brom, often finding himself occupying defenders on his own rather than having a lot of chances made for him.

Perhaps if he moves to a club where he can focus on scoring goals – like Southampton – he can improve on last season’s tally of nine goals.