Jude Bellingham stole the show last night for England in a blockbuster World Cup tie against Mexico.
Bellingham would bag a blistering brace to gift Thomas Tuchel's men a 2-0 lead, while his gutsy defensive work, and ability to roll up his sleeves and be dirty, helped as well, as the Three Lions had to deal with ten men for the majority of a cagey second half.
A 3-2 victory would eventually be secured come the full-time whistle, to the delight of the England contingent packed into the Azteca Stadium, and the sleep-deprived masses watching from home.
Strangely, Bellingham - during his club career to date - has never actually featured against Southampton, with his spell with Birmingham in the Championship not crossing over with the Saints being in the EFL's elite league.
This might be deemed a stretch, considering how world-class the England number ten is, but Southampton could snap up their very own Bellingham-style talent this summer by landing this eye-catching signing.
Southampton in the race for exciting midfielder
Reports indicate that the Saints are in the mix to sign Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine on loan, after he excelled in the Championship last campaign for Preston North End.
Indeed, it is being reported that Tonda Eckert and Co. are keen to land Devine, as they chase after multiple midfield targets, with his electric stint with the Lilywhites last campaign clearly catching the eye.
Celtic are another club rumoured to be interested in the Spurs starlet, so it could be an intense tussle for his services.
If Southampton were to win the race, though, they could be about to win a talent similar to Bellingham, with Devine possessing the same knack to be in the right place at the right time to slot home a golden opportunity as the Three Lions hero, alongside being attritional when needs be.
He could be their own Bellingham
After all, this isn't the silliest comparison to make, as Bellingham first made a name for himself in the beautiful game in the Championship with Birmingham, before going on to become a Galactico with Real Madrid.
Four goals and two assists would come his way from 44 games, and he was just getting started with this humble goal and assist tally, as evidenced in his phenomenal performances for both Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid since, alongside his breathtaking World Cup exploits.
Devine will be praying he can play in a top division such as the Premier League very soon, and look as confident as his England counterpart, with Southampton perhaps opening that door for him at Spurs, if he succeeds on the South Coast.
Last campaign in the second tier, the 21-year-old was a standout attacking talent, with eight goals and seven assists falling into his back pocket from 44 league clashes.
He isn't restricted to being an attacking presence solely, however, like Bellingham, as he can feature as an anchor presence in the central ranks, alongside lining up down the wings if required.
Averaging 3.4 ball recoveries per league clash too for Preston to show off his lively nature off the ball, with Bellingham relentless with his energy levels against Mexico, this could prove to be a fantastic loan capture if it goes through.
Much like the 53-time England international looks back on his time at St. Andrew's as instrumental to the world-beating talent he is today, Devine could - in the very near future - deem this spell at St. Mary's as critical in finally making the cut in the Spurs first-team picture.
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