Southampton’s approach to the January transfer window feels cautious in all the wrong ways.
Reports suggest the Saints have revived their interest in Morgan Guilavogui. The deal has stalled at RC Lens because Southampton are unwilling to meet his asking price. That alone tells a story about Sport Republic's priorities and expectations.
Guilavogui is an intriguing player on paper. He enjoyed a respectable spell at St. Pauli in Germany before returning to Lens, but his record in Ligue 1 has been modest at best.
One goal in 15 appearances does not exactly scream “difference-maker.” Yet Saints appear reluctant to pay a fair price for him, hoping instead to land a bargain.
Southampton targets should be completely different: here's why
This sort of negotiation might work when clubs are building slowly. It rarely works when a team needs goals and momentum. Southampton are currently on a six-game winless run in the Championship, and that run did not begin this week. Proper, meaningful targets should already have been identified already.
Argentinian centre-forward Joaquín Panichelli (pictured above) has scored ten goals in seventeen matches for Strasbourg and looks a proper player. This is the kind of target Southampton should be looking at.
Saints' lack of cutting-edge has come as no great surprise. The forward line overperformed in Eckert's initial period in charge so it was no surprise when the goals began to dry up.
Players who arrive with strong Championship scoring records or a genuine Premier League pedigree should be the targets. Cheap, unproven options rarely become the type to turn a season around. Fans have seen enough of Sport Republic aiming and falling short.
Southampton are in a position where they need someone who can make an impact immediately. They need a striker with a proven track record at this level or higher.
Championship goalscorers who have consistently found the net should have been prioritised. There are plenty in the top European leagues and the EFL making names for themselves who would relish a bigger stage.
Fans have had enough of SR's penny-pinching nonsense
Instead, Saints’ recruitment chatter sounds tentative at best. It looks like Johannes Spors is waiting for deals to become cheaper rather than making bold moves. Recruitment in January is always tricky, but refusing to back a realistic target with appropriate funds sends the wrong signal.
This window should be about clarity of intent. Southampton need to be honest about what the squad lacks and then address it. They have done that in the goalkeeping position to be fair but the jury is still out on Peretz following an interesting debut at Doncaster.
Focusing on underpaying for hopefuls does not align with a promotion push. What Saints need is a forward who can create and finish chances and help turn draws into wins.
If that means spending a little more, then so be it. Short-term gain and the threat of proven goals must take priority over Shylock-type deals that might never pay off. Southampton’s true ambition demands it. Otherwise, fans might soon be demanding another pound of flesh.