Southampton: Saints linked with £30m summer transfer splash on striker

Southampton have been linked with a £30m summer transfer splash on Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

According to an exclusive report from the Daily Express, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl sees the Serbian as the ideal addition to his attack ahead of next season.

The quoted fee would see the club’s transfer record smashed, with the highest outlay on a player currently the £22m spent on Jannik Vestergaard from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer.

Mitrovic has been one of the few highlights for Fulham this campaign with 11 goals in all competitions; two of which came in a 3-2 win against Saints back in November.

However, a miserable season for the Cottagers has seen them relegated straight back to the Championship following promotion via the play-offs last year.

More from Saints Marching

• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 2: Arrivals
• Grading the Southampton Transfer Window Part 1: Departures
• It’s time to talk about Gavin Bazunu
• Rain clouds on the horizon? Southampton beat Plymouth Argyle
• A lament for Southampton legend James Ward-Prowse

They will now be looking to recoup some of the money they spent on bringing in eight permanent transfers during the summer.

One of those was Mitrovic for around £18m after a highly successful campaign in the second-tier on-loan from Newcastle.

Saints do lack strikers with significant ability in the air and have missed a target man ever since Graziano Pelle left the club.

The ability to play more direct would certainly give the team more variety when attacking and additional forwards will be needed during a rumoured clear-out this summer.

Charlie Austin could leave for pastures new, whilst Guido Carrillo is unlikely to have a future at St Mary’s when he returns from a loan spell with La Liga side Leganes.

Hasenhuttl’s recruitment this summer could see him shaping his squad to play his preferred 4-2-2-2 system during 2019/20.

Saints have trialled that on a few occasions at the back end of this season and have had mixed results when they have used it, but the Austrian will have his reasons for wanting to implement it long-term.

Pacy forwards are usually needed to play the system but Mitrovic would certainly be an interesting addition should they get a deal done.

RB Leipzig’s Jean Kevin-Augustin has also been mentioned as someone being tracked by Saints and was reportedly recently told that he can leave the Bundesliga outfit.