Should Southampton look to gatecrash deal for Premier League attacker?

The January transfer window is only around the corner now.

There are ten Championship games in Southampton's calendar until the window reopens, with the Saints likely to be using the market to pick up a more effective back-up striker, than both Divin Mubama and Lewis Dobbin.

Both of the forwards in question were not at the races at all during the Saints' 1-1 draw away at West Bromwich Albion, with Mubama a passenger all match, until a frustratingly wasteful Dobbin replaced him and squandered a glorious one-on-one opening.

Of course, other second tier clubs will also be on the hunt for mid-season reinforcements, with Middlesbrough being tipped to make a move for this Premier League attacker.

Could Tonda Eckert and Co. be tempted to gatecrash this potential deal?

The Premier League attacker linked with Boro move

TransferFeed is reporting that Kim Hellberg's men are a possible contender for Anis Mehmeti's signature when January rolls around, with the Albanian midfielder yet to play in the Premier League for Ipswich Town this season.

A permanent or a temporary transfer option could be on the table for Mehmeti, who has been linked with Birmingham City and Derby County in recent times, away from being touted to move to the Teesside giants.

He's clearly a sought after player, so why shouldn't Southampton try to throw their weight around to try and land the 25-year-old?

He has scored this campaign in his only Tractor Boys outing, when he faced Arsenal in the EFL Cup, and he is a proven attacking menace in the Championship.

The Ipswich number 33 isn't a striker, which is what the promotion chasers crave, but he could boost them in the forward areas, anyway, as Mehmeti tries to seal a move away in January.

He could suit the Saints

Mehmeti has very much enjoyed playing in the Championship in recent memory.

He has called the second tier home with Wycombe Wanderers, Bristol City, and Ipswich, with his best moments in the hustle and bustle of the Championship to date coming at Ashton Gate.

He would score an electric 20 goals across the 2024/25 season and the 2025/26 season for the Robins in league action alone, as he interchanged effortlessly between playing as a left winger, or as a number ten option.

Gerhard Struber, his former boss in Bristol, would label him as "outstanding" and he would be praised by Kieran McKenna last campaign for being "extraordinary", when he grabbed two goals and two assists from only 18 league matches, to seal the Tractor Boys' return to the big time.

His versatility to be able to play down the left wing, and through the middle, could come in handy for Eckert and Co. as the German doesn't have a wide array of options on the left when Leo Scienza is injured.

Moreover, last campaign at Portman Road, he proved he can change games when being used as a late substitute, mainly as a number ten.

Imagine being able to throw on Mehmeti in place of a tiring Finn Azaz to give the Saints ranks an extra shot in the arm.

Realistically, if the Saints were to go after the nine-time Albania international, they would be contemplating a move down the temporary route, you'd imagine, as he would cost a fair chunk.

Indeed, he cost Ipswich £3.5m to pick up in January of this year, which would be a lot to fork out on a player who isn't desperately needed, with a striker a bigger priority.

Yet, if the option came up to snap him up on a loan, the South Coast titans would be silly not to explore a move, with Boro - Southampton's old Spygate foe - wanting to win his services ahead of Eckert's men.

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