With 4 proven Championship quality strikers on the books plus new signing Damion Downs arriving at training this week, you would think that signing another striker is not high on the list of priorities, but it seems that it is.

Saints are top heavy on strikers, they have 5 at present and although I don't think that they will all be here come the end of the transfer window, I would think that Ben Brereton Diaz will leave and although keeping all of Adam Armstrong, Ross Stewart, Cameron Archer and new signing Damion Downs would be nice and possibly give us the most potent strike force in the division, I think at least one of them will leave and that could well be Ross Stewart.

Perhaps that is why according to the72.co.uk are reporting that we are looking at a striker, the man in question being Idrissa Gueye.

That is not the Idrissa Gueye who is currently at Everton, the 35 year old defensive midfielder who played in 37 of Everton's Premier League season, startting in 35 of them and missing just one.

Although I suspect that most Saints supporters would see his arrival at St Mary's as being just the type of experience that we need, an old head to sit deep in the midfield and protect the back four.

No this Idrissa Gueye is a fellow Senegalese player but an 18 year old striker.

He was signed by Metz only in January after winning the Senegal league title with Generation Foot FC.

He made a big impact with Metz and his 5 goals in 17 appearances saw them promoted to Ligue 1 in France.

The 6ft 2 Centre forward who will turn 19 in September is apparently on the Southampton radar and West Ham United are also said to be interested, indeed the report claims that Saints have already lodged an official approach with Metz.

The player will be well known to Will Still who was manager of French Ligue 1 club Lens last season.

Metz do not want to lose him, they are said to be demanding 18 million euros, although his current worth is only around a third of that.

11 years ago Saints took a chance of another Senegalese striker who started his career in Europe with Metz, that was Sadio Mane, who left Metz for 4 million Euros in 2012 for Red Bull Salzburg where he spent two seasons before arriving at St Mary's for a shade under £12 million.

Although Mane was a little more experienced that Gueye is at the moment, those who have been watching his career say that he has the potential to match Sadio Mane who also started his career in Senegal with Generation Foot.

So although Southampton supporter may initially be ranting about Sport Republic buying another youngster, perhaps this one may have potential.

I think it would be great if we signed both Idrissa Gueye's, then the chant "There's Only Two Idrissa Gueye's" could ring around Championship grounds next season, to be honest it wouldn't be the worst thing if it happened.

All Photos Via Reuters

WoolstonSaint2 added 12:54 - Jul 22 Group Talent Strategy and Group Technical Director = Group Profit. Saints are seemingly signing 18-21 year olds with a view to sell on for big bucks, or shift to Goztepe and Valenciennes. Are Saints now the cash cow for SR’s venture into owning an expanding suite of clubs, via hoovering up young players with financial potential? Meanwhile the Saints have just had their worst ever season, winning a pathetic two out of 38 games. #MakeSaintsIndependentAgain

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underweststand added 13:34 - Jul 22 this is not a signing that Saints fans should be overly glad / or/ upset over. This type of player is yet another youngblood from a foreign league who had a standout season but a good spell in our U21 league will show us whether he is a big find, or another " type Seko Mara " who will find his true level, and likely be forced to return to his homeland. Alternatively, he may suit Götzepe or Valenciens set-up and he can stay within the group.

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saintmark1976 added 13:35 - Jul 22 It’s certainly not what Saints fans want to Hear. Rather looks like it Woolston.
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Saintjonah68 added 14:36 - Jul 22 Will be paid for by Saints and out on loan to Goztepe as that's what we do,fund Turkey for minimal return.
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Bowlercow added 15:51 - Jul 22 We have yet to see the benefits of being part of Group Talent but It could still benefit us We buy this youngsters,loan him to a sister club for a fee.We avoid any problems with ffp If he makes the grade we get to enjoy him for a couple of seasons When we sell him his fee could be all profit So it's a good business model and follows what Saints have always done in my time Martin Chivers was the first player sold after I started following Saintsy

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SaintJackoInHurworth added 16:56 - Jul 22 Is he someone you don't think we would want HERE or someone about whom we don't want to HEAR?!!!!! Personally, I am gutted that Ballard has not been given his chance, but with him likely to go out on loan again, it probably makes sense to bring in another youngster for the U21s. If he can then show himself to be ready to make the breakthrough into the first side (if our current crop of strikers do not deliver enough) then, why not?! The biggest question, though must be whether signing him might be at the cost of signing a winger, AM, CM or Keeper should any key players in those positions leave.

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Block8 added 21:45 - Jul 22 The truth is buy low & sell big is the only way we'll get to compete with the big boys. Brighton & Bournemouth are doing it very well currently.
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Jesus_02 added 22:38 - Jul 22 We all want to hear that we have signed Haaland. I dont knwo what sports republic are up to? What we need are strikers that are capable to 20 Premier League goals a season. Its pretty simple.
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Jesus_02 added 22:38 - Jul 22 We all want to hear that we have signed Haaland. I dont knwo what sports republic are up to? What we need are strikers that are capable to 20 Premier League goals a season. Its pretty simple.
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saint_ben added 09:37 - Jul 23 Does anyone know what has happened with Juan Santos da Silva. The Brazilian we signed along with Wellington, I haven't seen anything written about him, doesn't seem to be in the Squad? I thought he was going to be with us this season?
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saint_ben added 09:58 - Jul 23 https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/personal-terms-agreed-with-sao-pau
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Block8 added 11:03 - Jul 23 Think Juan is still at Goztepe?
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saint_ben added 11:13 - Jul 23 @block8, I'm sure I read he would be back with us this season. There is no mention of him being out on loan that I can find. Strange
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saint_ben added 11:15 - Jul 23 Just found this on transfermarket. Looks like he is on loan till 2026. https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-southampton/leihspieler/verein/180
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underweststand added 16:24 - Jul 23 to bowlercow.. I vividly recall the 1967 Chivers deal. It looked good at the time as £125K was a league record at the time, but the problem was (once again) Spurs had seen us coming and clawed back £45k in selling us Frank Saul ...as part of the deal. A " fairly ordinary player " whose one distinction was that he had scored the winner in the Cup Final earlier that year. He may have been a pleasant fellow off the pitch, but was no replacement for the huge goalscoring talent that Chivers possessed and like others longed for the life in London and returned there just 2 years later having played just 60-odd games and managing 2 league goals and another 10 in somewhat meaningless Cup matches. Whatever fee we got for him in return was a pittance considering the original outlay. As for Gueye, he may get a few practice games before being shipped off to one of our European "partners", but only time will tell. Signing this sort of player may look good but few are likely to have the talent to succeed in the Championship - let alone making good in a squad looking for a potential return to the Prem.

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