Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Southampton - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - December 31, 2022 Southampton manager Nathan Jones REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Southampton are ‘definitely’ looking to sign a couple of new players before the end of the transfer window.
The Lowdown: Saints hunting for a striker
Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Nathan Jones‘ side are looking to ‘identify’ a striker this month, expressing his confidence that the Premier League outfit will find themselves a new forward in that time.
One name that was recently linked with a move to the Saints was Antoine Semenyo, according to The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell.
However, Semenyo would opt to join AFC Bournemouth instead, leaving Southampton to continue their hunt for a new forward.
The Latest: Saints will be doing business
Sheth claimed that the Southampton boss is hopeful they can bring in one or two players this month when speaking to GiveMeSport, expecting them to make moves in the remaining hours of the window.
He stated, “Southampton, for sure [could be busy]. They’re definitely in the market to bring in [players].
“They’ve had a couple of bids for a couple of players rejected and I think Nathan Jones has been very, very public that not only does he want to bring in one or two players before the close of the window, he’s hopeful of bringing in one or two players before the close of the window.
“So it looks like a couple of deals are in situ just there at Southampton and they will be doing business in the last couple of days.”
The Verdict: A priority area
Southampton are seriously lacking in their options up front, and it would surely be seen by some as a key area being neglected if they don’t land a striker before the end of January.
The Saints only have three out-and-out forwards in their ranks. Che Adams is the most experienced of the trio, but he’s not someone that you can rely on to hit double figures on a consistent basis based on his output at St Mary’s – Adams has never scored more than 10 Premier League goals in a single season.
He’s recently been linked with a move to Everton, and former goalkeeper Paddy Kenny doesn’t think he’s the answer to their problems.
Kenny labelled the 26-year-old as a ‘decent squad player’, but believes he ‘isn’t the guy who will go out and get you 15 or 20 goals in a season’ when speaking to Football Insider.
If Southampton acquire a new striker in January, they need to make sure they have one important factor, and that’s goals.
Adams currently leads the way as their top scorer with eight goals in all competitions. Only four other players in their entire squad have netted more than one goal so far in this campaign.
We believe it’s clear that getting goals is where the real problem is, but there’s so little time left in the window that it will be incredibly challenging for Southampton to land themselves a new forward before the deadline passes.
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