Fresh off scoring two goals in the World Cup for Canada, Cyle Larin will be desperate to keep the goals flowing when the new Championship season kicks off.
The Brampton Bagsman is back with Southampton after a whirlwind tournament with his nation, with Larin securing a permanent return to St. Mary's, just before the drama of the World Cup began.
Bagging an electric eight goals from ten starts during the regular Championship season, it was a no brainer to try and tempt him back, and despite all the off-field conflict surrounding Spygate, the 31-year-old was more than willing to make his stay a permanent one.
At the end of the day, it was a loan spell that went down a treat, so he was welcomed back with open arms, with Southampton hoping to replicate the instant success story of Larin with another inspired capture in attack this summer.
Southampton in the race for this statement signing
Southampton have utilised the loan market well over the years, with Danny Ings once a loan signing up top - like Larin - who returned for good and nearly even won a Premier League golden boot on the St. Mary's roster.
Flynn Downes also started out life on the South Coast as a loan pursuit before he penned his own permanent deal, with the one-time West Ham United midfielder no doubt part of Tonda Eckert's starting XI next season.
Another foray into the loan market looked on the cards, therefore, with EFL-focused journalist Alan Nixon reporting that the Saints were contemplating a temporary move for Lewis Dobbin from Aston Villa.
It was first reported that Eckert and Co. were chasing after Dobbin's services on a permanent, but with his valuation coming in at pricey £5m, the expected play was that Southampton would try to pick him up on loan, instead.
Amazingly, though, the latest development from the Athletic is that the Saints have beaten the likes of their Spygate nemesis, Middlesbrough, to his coveted signature, with a heftier £9m the amount being reported.
They will be praying he can hit the ground running, just like Larin, having been won for such a lavish amount.
He could be another Larin
With Ross Stewart no longer on the books of the South Coast giants, the Saints do need some fresh reinforcements in attack.
Dobbin might not be a traditional striker option, like the departed Scotsman, but he certainly knows where the back of the net, based on his red-hot Preston goal tally.
Indeed, the 23-year-old regularly switches between playing down the flanks, and as a striker figure, but whatever position he does take up, he's usually potent in front of goal, with ten goals and eight assists next to his name in the Championship last season with the Lilywhites.
The hope will be that he can get off to a flying start with the same venom if he swaps Villa for Southampton shortly, with Larin needing no time to acclimatise to what was expected of him, despite making such a big move.
In Dobbin's favour, too, he has 66 career appearances in the Championship under his belt, meaning he won't need to wrestle with a different footballing culture, like the ex-Mallorca striker had to cope with.
He will be hungry to be an immediate fan favourite like Larin, too, as he has never won a promotion out of the Championship up to the Premier League, despite calling three loan clubs home in the intense division.
That could soon change if he goes on to fire home the goals that see Eckert's men break out of the fiercely competitive league, with the consensus hopefully being that Southampton splashed the cash wisely, rather than burning through money.
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