Southampton manager Nathan Jones is reportedly set to be in touch with Sport Republic ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Jones' appointment at Southampton
After relieving Ralph Hasenhuttl of his duties at St. Mary's earlier this season, the Saints appointed Jones as their new manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Jones' first game in charge of the south coast club saw them lose 3-1 away at Liverpool in the Premier League just before domestic football took a break to make way for the World Cup.
With the tournament in Qatar progressing, it appears that some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding what's going on at Southampton ahead of the January transfer window.
The Latest: Jones to talk with Sport Republic
A recent report from The Athletic shared some details regarding Jones' position and what will happen in the lead up to the January window in terms of planning for potential business. The report said:
"Heading into the January window, Sport Republic will spend time with new boss Jones to ascertain his opinion of the current squad and what areas require improvement."
The Verdict: A busy window?
Having lost nine of their 15 league games this season, conceding 27 goals in the process, it's safe to say that things have been a bit rocky for Southampton so far in this campaign.
Bearing in mind how only Nottingham Forest (30) and Bournemouth (32) have conceded more goals than the Saints this season, it could be said that some defensive reinforcements could be what Jones needs to add to the squad in January.
Looking back to the previous summer transfer window and the number of new players that joined Southampton in that period, that and these recent claims from The Athletic should fill the supporters at St. Mary's with confidence that sufficient business, under the guidance of Jones, will happen in January.
Moving forward, if Jones can use this World Cup break to adequately assess his playing squad and pick out what he needs in January to help get the club away from the relegation zone, the owners should do all they can to help him.