1. Another Dedicated Striker
On paper, Southampton are stacked up front. Shane Long, Nathan Redmond, Dusan Tadic, Jay Rodriguez and Charlie Austin can all do the job if called upon on any given day. Of those, though, only Long and Austin can be called true strikers; the others preferring to play on the wings when possible. Any formation change is going to produce some growing pains as players adapt to their new roles. Though Redmond in particular seems to be adapting well, another tried-and-true striker with proven goal-scoring ability would be a beneficial though not absolutely necessary addition to the squad.
Editor’s Suggestion: Sebastien Haller
Haller’s been a target for Premier League clubs for awhile now, having been bid for to the tune of £6.5m by Norwich City in January. That deal never materialised, and he’s currently playing for FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie. His 2016/17 campaign has gotten off to a flying start, with two goals in as many games, so there’s no question about his ability to find the back of the net. This summer, Haller’s gotten attention from Everton as well as being intermittently linked to the South Coast. With a Transfermarkt quoted value of €7.5m (£6.5m) and 3 years left on his contract, he’ll probably cost about double that, but it’d be money well-spent if he can produce here like he does in the Netherlands.