Southampton have narrowed down their attacking search to Brazilian prodigy Alysson Edward, amidst a chaotic run of displays in friendly meetings.
Well, one evening doesn't decide everything and pre-season ones are to be taken lightly, but Southampton are losing their path right now. The Saints clawed their way past lower-tier opponents until midweek, but in the Castellon match which was a proper Championship-level test, they looked clumsy and overly risk averse in their approach.
Due to these dull showings, the pre-season thrill is drying out among the fans. The final week of July is up and running, where the Southampton faithful wanted more Gillingham-like match sharpness, but it still appears a disjointed team searching for rhythm.
Can that be brought through some signings? If the club are caught up in two minds, then suitable options must be kept in the conversation.
Further, attackers make up a vast representation at Southampton, but the decreasing rate of scoring can see more future attackers and playmakers being added.
Edward can be a storied Brazilian success at St. Mary's
In the words of Fernandez Pumarino, Saints are focusing on Alysson Edward: "Southampton has their eye on and is closely following Alysson Edward, a 19-year-old winger from Gremio de Porto Alegre."
Across every league, Brazilian attackers are notoriously famous for their trickery and unpredictability, which Southampton needs in some capacity. In addition, the just concluded Club World Cup has shown the level of Brazilian football and their mindblowing talents.
Teams like Fluminense and Palmeiras took many European football fans by surprise, and even Saints must have been left applauding Chelsea's new boy, Joao Pedro, out there. Hence, Edward can be one among those high calibre prospects, and he comes in the mould of a conventional Saints recruit.
A highly rated teenager with not much asking price is what Saints look for, and Edward fits the bill nicely. Can he fill the front three weaknesses too? Let's see.