For all the Cyle Larins of this world who have been an instant success at Southampton after joining, there have been a few underwhelming purchases from the summer transfer window just gone.
Lewis Dobbin cost £9m and is yet to break his goalscoring duck for the Saints, while Larin has a sensational eight goals next to his name in all competitions, having only cost around the £3m mark to win outright.
Moreover, Zach Abbott has been firmly rooted to the subsitutes bench since joining the St. Mary's group on deadline day on loan from Nottingham Forest, with many wondering why he was even purchased.
As the season goes on, and the Championship games come thick and fast, both Dobbin and Abbott could suddenly show their worth, with the upcoming January window also giving the South Coast giants a perfect opportunity to add in reinforcements here and there, as they try and bolster ahead of a critical second half of the 46-game slog.
A name keeps popping up who might well be on the mid-season shopping list for Tonda Eckert and Co...
Saints linked again with this transfer target
As per transfer outlet OnTheMinute, the promotion hopefuls continue to be keen on the services of Viking midfield machine Kristoffer Askildsen, with the same site noting that the Saints were monitoring Akildsen back in September.
Alongside Eckert's men being mentioned, again, Bristol City are also namedropped like the previous report, but there is a new slice of information that is interesting.
West Bromwich Albion have now allegedly joined the tussle for the 25-year-old's coveted signature, with the Baggies loving a left-field purchase from Scandinavia, with one of their main strikers - Aune Heggebo - previously lining up for Brann, before becoming a Championship goalscorer.
West Brom's interest is noted as being at an early stage, but if Askildsen continues to impress in Eliteserien action, James Morrison's men might be tempted to take the plunge and put a bid in.
It will be tough, therefore, for Southampton to win their long established target, with West Brom coming out on top in another transfer race involving the two teams in the hectic summer transfer window.
They'll have to battle hard to win his services
Indeed, in the summer window, Eckert's side and Morrison's men went toe-to-toe for the services of Nolan Galves.
In the end, the West Midlands club won their desired man, and the French full-back had adapted to Championship life well during his first couple of outings as a Baggies defender.
Southampton do have the last laugh here, however, as the one-time Rodez defender is now out for the rest of the 2026/27 season with a brutal knee injury, and the Saints will be aiming to pile on the misery even thicker by snapping up Askildsen if they can.
Arguably, the promotion chasers don't need another body centrally, with Caspar Jander returning to the first team fold after the break, but the Norwegian could be an eye-catching addition, regardless, with five Eliteserien goals next to his name this year.
Also winning a bruising 115 duels this year in the Norwegian top-flight, he could be well-suited to the attritional landscape of the Championship, if a mid-season move is secured.
Michael Skubala's outfit will also believe they can hold their weight in any potential transfer battle that ensues, as the Robins are currently just in the playoffs.
All this rampant interest in Askildsen makes this a transfer tug-of-war many will be fascinated to see play out, as the Viking number seven possibly contemplates a move to English shores in January.
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