Justin Devenny is the name, and Saints have been circling the Crystal Palace man since early July.
This week Alan Nixon reported that Middlesbrough have muscled in too, ready to go as high as £7m for him.
Leicester and Preston fancy him as well, so this has become a proper Championship scramble for a Premier League squad player.
Why does he fit? He is 22, left-footed, and slots into the central role Charles is about to vacate.
The fit is easy to see
Devenny came through a Palace side that lifted the FA Cup and the Conference League, so the winning habits are already there. He can shift out to the left too, which Eckert will welcome.
The stats won't knock you off your chair, mind. His FotMob player profile shows just a single goal from last season.
Devenny managed a 6.40 rating across 21 Premier League outings, most of them off the bench. So this is a young squad player with room to grow, not a finished article.
That is roughly how Saints Marching framed it. They called Devenny a ready-made swap for one Northern Ireland man in the middle.
The logic is tidy. Sell Charles for around £30m, then spend a fraction on a younger body who already knows the man he is succeeding.
Devenny and Charles have lined up together for Northern Ireland. Why wouldn't Eckert fancy a midfielder who already gets how his predecessor thinks?
The value is the draw
Transfermarkt values him at about £10m, yet the fee being floated sits nearer £7m. The gap is down to his contract, which runs out next summer.
For a promotion push, a cut-price midfielder with top-flight minutes is shrewd business. He can also cover left back or the wing when injuries bite.
There is a snag, though. Southampton are only watching for now, and others keep joining the queue.
Nixon knows his stuff, but this is interest, not a bid. Boro's willingness to pay could settle things before Saints even move.
It has been argued that Southampton must line up options in there, and Devenny ticks the age and value boxes.
He would not stroll in and match Charles for goals or presence. That is the trade-off with a squad player still learning his trade.
But the upside is obvious. A left-footed 22-year-old with a Palace medal collection, sold cheap because his contract clock is ticking, is a gamble a promotion year can happily take.
Verdict:Â 3/5. A low-risk buy with upside, though he would sit a clear step below Charles for output today.
Likelihood: 2/5. One insider, no bid yet, and a cluster of EFL rivals eyeing the same £7m man.
This is sensible planning that only turns serious if Saints act before Boro do.
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