Southampton will head into the January transfer window with a few additions in mind.
Another striker will be high up the priority list, you imagine, with Cyle Larin suffering from recurring injury problems as of late, and Divin Mubama potentially returning to Manchester City, after a subdued loan spell with the Saints.
Adding in another central midfielder isn't that big of a priority, next to a centre-forward reinforcement, but Tonda Eckert's men have been noted as being interested in this Norwegian battler...
Saints linked with move for new midfielder
September and October has seen Eckert's promotion chasers be linked with a move for Viking midfielder Kristoffer Akildsen.
Alongside the Saints being named as a Championship onlooker, Bristol City, West Bromwich Albion, and Wrexham have all been noted as other EFL suitors, interesting in snapping up the 6-foot-5 enforcer when the window rolls around.
This interest won't have died down, either, as Akildsen has been starring in the Champions League in recent times with the reigning Eliteserien champions, with eight duels forcefully won during a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich.
He also collected an assist against Aston Villa in Europe's premier competition, as Viking lost 3-1 on their travels to Villa Park.
Therefore, even if Southampton are well-stocked in the midfield department, pursuing a deal for Akildsen makes sense, as it's clear he's a very high quality talent.
Eckert could win his next Caspar Jander, arguably, by securing the Oslo-born sensation's signature, with the German often sticking as an ace with a very high ceiling, who slotted in seamlessly to the St. Mary's set-up when joining last summer.
He could be their next Caspar Jander
Jander would start during the 3-2 away win at West Ham United with Flynn Downes out with an injury.
Losing Downes was a harsh blow to come to terms with, but the confident 23-year-old instantly slotted in and did a sterling job in his absence, with five tackles and duels won, alongside only one of his passes all afternoon going astray.
It's clear that Jander is destined for bigger and better things than the Championship with how effortless he makes everything look on the pitch, with the Daily Echo's Alfie House noting recently that his ability is "ridiculous."
Akildsen is on that same upward trajectory, as he has battled well against the likes of Harry Kane, and he has a very impressive six goal contributions next to his name so far this season in Eliterserien action.
The South Coast outfit would be turning heads, just like they did when signing the Jurgen Klopp-admired Jander, if they managed to win the services of Akildsen, who sticks out as the full package, just like the one-time Nurnberg star.
Alongside averaging a gritty 5.7 duels won per league match out in Norway this season, Akildsen is calm and assured with the ball at his feet, in a similar fashion to his German counterpart, with just two passes not hitting their intended target last month, when Viking butted heads with Lillestrøm SK.
It will likely cost a hefty amount to win the Scandinavian gem, with Jander once costing £10.4m, but that deal has worked out brilliantly for everyone involved.
The competition for spaces in the middle of the park would be extremely intense, with the Saints' midfield - which is regarded as one of the finest in the entire division - taken up another notch with the potential arrival of Akildsen.
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