Southampton won't be looking too far ahead at the moment, as all of their concentration rests on attempting to sneak into the automatic promotion places in the Championship.
It's a feat that would have been considered ridiculous once upon a time, but it's very much on the cards, right now, as we enter into some crunch games at the very top of the jam-packed division.
This calendar year, Saints fans have been cheering Cyle Larin's name non-stop, as he has emerged as a revelation up top, ever since he was announced as a left-field loan swoop from Mallorca.
Will Larin stay permanently?
The Canadian striker has quite the eclectic list of clubs, when you scour his career trajectory.
Larin has called Orlando City, Beskitas, Club Brugge, and Mallorca - to name just a few - his home across a jetsetting career, that has seen him regularly fire home the goals, for whoever he is lining up for.
Heading to the upcoming World Cup with his nation, too, Larin has been a breakout sensation on the South Coast, with a sublime six goals collected from 15 appearances.
What a header from Cyle Larin to give Southampton the lead! 💥 pic.twitter.com/CvriF9D4LC
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 7, 2026
It has led to various questions over whether the Ontario-born centre-forward will permanently relocate to St. Mary's or not, with fresh reports from Spain indicating that Tonda Eckert and Co. will try to snap him up for good, in the summer.
The cost to obtain him for good will be around the £3.4m range, which doesn't feel like a substantial amount to pay, for a striker who clearly knows where the back of the net is.
At 31 years of age, though, he isn't a spring chicken, with Southampton perhaps better placed to bump one of their own up the pecking order, as opposed to sealing the permanent signature of the loan number nine.
Southampton's homegrown alternative to Larin
If Southampton were to fail in their pursuit of the Premier League, too, surely it would be difficult to land the services of Larin outright, as he has been used to several top divisions, across his nomadic career to date.
Whereas, whatever happens ahead, Nicholas Oyekunle would love to lead the line for his boyhood side, and he arguably deserves some more significant senior chances when assessing his blistering Premier League 2 form, as of late.
Across his last five games for Adam Lallana's U21s, Oyekunle has bagged a red-hot four goals, and collected one assist, with his overall tally for the campaign coming in at 11 strikes, from only 14 Premier League 2 encounters.
With 50 goals spread across the U18s and U21s, it's not a shock to see he has been handed four senior chances already.
These chances should hopefully become more regular down the line, but his pathway to senior success might well be blocked by Larin joining permanently.
In the short-term, Larin will be remembered for being an exceptionally shrewd purchase, when Southampton needed more firepower up top.
But the worry will be whether he can keep this up, as he becomes more and more of a veteran, winding down his career.
Long term, it makes more sense for the Saints to put their eggs in the Oyekunle basket, as another sublime homegrown gem is unearthed.
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