Southampton fans know Lesley Ugochukwu's impending departure will highlight the midfield shortcomings again but forgotten Nottingham Forest star Lewis O'Brien could be a valuable alternative.
On paper, there is still over a week left until Lesley Ugochukwu can be called a Southampton player. Well, it's always sad watching established starters leave so soon but financially challenging Chelsea to retain him will be the last thing the Saints would want.
Now, no matter how good he turned up in the decisive stretch of the season it's time to actively handpick a like-for-like replacement instead of overanalysing the 21-year-old's solitary season.
And as per journalist Alan Nixon (via the72), the highly craved Ugochukwu profile could be present in returning Nottingham Forest star Lewis O'Brien.
At first glance, Southampton fans might be left puzzled knowing Lewis had a negligible contribution to Nottingham's Premier League success.
Plus, what's the point in signing him when he constantly switches to the less competitive Major League Soccer? After all, not everyone is Saints icon Stuart Armstrong who can spend some time in the States and still operate consistently upon his European return.
O'Brien is no stranger to promotion races
Talking about the plus points which every Southampton fan wants to hear, the first one is that Lewis is a Championship journeyman. From coming within touching distance of a deserved promotion to even battling out mid-table finishes, Lewis has a taste of quite every second-division ambition an English outfit can have.
So, it's safe to assume that the 26-year-old will hardly have any issues in meeting the collective season expectations. Instead, what's uncertain is whether Lewis can be acquired on a temporary basis in order to help Southampton save on transfer funds.
The final transfer say may or may not be favourable for Lewis but let's hope Shea Charles isn't the one chosen to make way for him in the roster.