Saints are interested in costly Metz forward Idrissa Gueye, whose £18m price tag will remind fans of Kamaldeen Sulemana's £22m case.
Recently, Saints fans heard of Dusan Tadic nearing an Atletico switch, and their resentful actions speak for themselves. But while the supporters are right on their part to criticise Southampton's Tadic miss, what they may be missing is the club's highly focused promotion plan.
That's because if you observe the Saints' signings, Joshua Quarshie and Damion Downs both share a massive common link. Yes, they are young talents who are coming on the back of winning promotions last season.
But as if this realisation wasn't exciting enough for the fans, the Saints board is expected to repeat on similar lines again.
And while their last two talent hunts came from the German second tier, this time, Southampton have set sights on the French Ligue 2 division for forward Idrissa Gueye.
Recently, journalist Alan Nixon confirmed the Saints' interest as the club goes one-on-one against Top Flight suit West Ham for Metz prodigy Gueye. What's interesting further? Despite Metz demanding a hefty £18 million, Southampton ain't feeling like backing off from the teenager's deal.
Southampton must refrain from signing Idrissa Gueye
Now, I know your honest reactions, Saints fans, as your interest must've gone down listening to the player's hefty price tag. And that's for fair reasons, as it brings down the old Kamaldeen Sulemana fears.
In case you don't remember, Sulemana, too, was a 20-year-old unproven raw talent in the French division when Southampton took a humongous £22 million risk on him. But while the move fell terribly, it has taught the fans not to buy into the idea of overspending on rising stars anymore.
Yet, even if not for this, the Saints must take learnings from icon Francis Benali's old transfer verdict. That's because not only does Gueye's costly signing put Southampton vulnerable to a poor recruit call, but it also leads them spiralling back into the scattergun forward approach they have tried to undo all this summer.
Overall, while Idrissa Gueye feels like a potent addition to St. Mary's, Southampton must refrain from his move. Particularly when they have a serious task on hand to rebuild their defensive backline.