Damion Downs arrived last summer to Southampton as a high-profile acquisition from FC Koln.
Coasting £7m to obtain, the expectation would've been that Downs would instantly spring into action on his arrival from Germany as an exciting addition in attack.
Instead, the 22-year-old's future at St Mary's already hangs in the balance, with zero goals collected on English shores then compounded by another goalless stint on the books of Hamburg on loan during the latter stages of last campaign.
This notable flop occurring doesn't look as if it's putting Southampton off from shopping in the German market again, however, with Leo Scienza a rip-roaring success story, on the opposite end of the spectrum, having been picked up by Heidenheim last summer.
Saints fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that this new potential addition is more Scienza than Downs, that's for sure....
Southampton's latest German purchase
The South Coast giants aren't messing about when it comes to statement additions up top, with £9m the rumoured amount Tonda Eckert and Co have splashed out to land Aston Villa star Lewis Dobbin, after he enjoyed an excellent ten-goal season in Lancashire last campaign with Preston North End.
They aren't done here, either, with the Saints rumoured to be in the hunt for Werder Bremen forward Justin Njinmah, alongside Premier League newbies Hull City, according to German outlet BILD.
Already, the alarm bells might be ringing among some Southampton fans, as the worry will be he's another forgettable dud that arrives to England from Germany, who isn't cut out for the rough and tumble of Championship action.
As has been previously been mentioned, though, he could prove to be a Scienza-style gem, on the contrary, with the 25-year-old clearly a player of some pedigree, having previously been in the reserve team ranks at Borussia Dortmund.
Yet, Downs was hailed as a fantastic youth talent, too, having lit up the Koln youth pitches with goals galore, with many St. Mary's supporters looking at this rumour with apprehension.
Will he be another Downs?
In Njinmah's defence, he does boast a lot more Bundesliga experience than his United States counterpart.
He has nailed down 84 appearances in the intense German top-flight, and has managed to collect a respectable 14 goals, with the 25-year-old also assured enough to enter into the starting XI as a striker option, or as a presence down the flanks.
This versatile edge to his game could well have caught Southampton's eye, and with a couple of seasons in the Bundesliga down, he won't be too scared by the prospect of the EFL's elite league.
Downs only had 22 career appearances in the main German division before making the costly leap, with a further 36 goals coming Njinmah's way when playing in the 3. Liga and Regionalliga Nord, which are the congested divisions below the promised land of the Bundesliga.
The worry here will be that Southampton will have to pay another extortionate fee to win Njinmah, like Downs' eye-watering £8m, with the report stating that a "reasonable" fee will need to be coughed up.
Scienza's move for around the £7.8m mark did prove that taking gambles are sometimes worth the risk, and with the Saints not brimming with options up top, another daring capture - this time from Bremen - could be on the cards, despite some dread lingering.
Here's hoping, if the Hamburg-born forward does join, that he hits the ground sharply and breaks his duck promptly, otherwise the demoralising Downs comparisons will inevitably arrive at his door.
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