Southampton have added Wycombe prodigy Richard Kone on their scouting radar but any move for the exciting but less proven attacker should come in the future.
Amidst the ongoing Club World Cup, Southampton's focus still lies on easing the Lucas Cepeda question. On one side, his legendary compatriots are boasting about his goalscoring prowess while on the other remains a sizeable seven-figure risk Saints can't afford to lose.
Plus, if any Southampton fan tuned in for the River Plate fixture, they would have drawn the conclusion that River don't regret leaving the Cepeda signing for now. Hopefully, the Saints can say the same if they shift their signing gaze away from the 22-year-old.
In the meantime, Southampton have begun circling around another such unpredictable striker. As suggested by EFL Analysis, the Saints are keeping tabs on Wycombe Wanderers' breakout talent Richard Kone.
Saints need reliable forwards instead of emerging names
As is the norm with top prospects, Kone has age by his side and with a knack of finding the back of the net, it appears hard for Southampton to reject him. Well, transfer wisdom comes with knowing both sides of the coin which is where the Kone deal will sound un-tempting for the fans.
To begin with, Kone carries the third-division tag alongside him meaning his swift adaptability to a relatively competitive Championship level has been thrown into doubt. Even then, surpassing the double-digit scoring mark is commendable but managing to net only a fraction of them in the second half of the season isn't a sign of an in-form attacker.
Plus, taking into account that he last appeared on the scoresheet in March and struggled in the playoffs, it's safe to admit that Kone isn't the proven candidate needed at St. Mary's. Finally, let's hope that Kone goes strength to strength in the coming years and someday, might become a first-team mainstay at Southampton.