Cameron Archer's two-year stay at Southampton looks as if it will come to an end this summer.
Indeed, the number 19 has never quite fit in his South Coast environment, with the 24-year-old joining for a bold £15m in 2024, after the Saints had won promotion to the Premier League, and instantly flopping.
He would only muster up two goals from 35 top-flight appearances, with last season also seeing him score just three Championship strikes, as the likes of Cyle Larin ended up hogging the goalscoring limelight, over the one-time Aston Villa youngster.
After two poor seasons on the spin at St. Mary's, it's not a surprise that Archer wants to leave, and Southampton are willing to sanction his sale.
But the Saints won't be giving away their hit-and-miss striker cheaply, despite his long barren patches of form, according to reports.
Clubs need to cough up more money to win Archer
Despite only scoring five league goals across his last two lacklustre campaigns, Archer does have some interested clubs taking a look at him currently.
The main team that has been mentioned is West Bromwich Albion, which does make sense, as the Baggies no longer have Josh Maja on their books, who is an experienced EFL head up top.
At the moment, however, despite the interest being there, West Brom insiders are speculating that there is "a discrepancy in the valuation between the two clubs over the fee for Archer."
It had been previously noted that a £5m bid had been put forward by James Morrison's men, but that clearly isn't going to be enough to win the Walsall-born striker, despite the fact West Brom being close to his birthplace would make this an attractive next destination.
The Saints are right to push for more cash, after all, as they once forked out £15m for the hot-and-cold 24-year-old.
On his day, too, if he clicks at the Hawthorns, he could be worth every penny of a bid way above the £5m mark...
Will West Brom be tempted to splash the cash?
West Brom will be pursuing Archer's signature, knowing what he's capable of in the Championship when performing at full pelt.
Away from failing to spark into life on the South Coast, the 11-time England U21 international has an impressive back catalogue playing for both Middlesbrough and Preston North End in the demanding division, bagging a red-hot 18 strikes from 40 games.
He was even dubbed a "natural goalscorer" at Deepdale by then Preston boss Ryan Lowe, while Michael Carrick - when the pair crossed paths on Teesside - further noted that he was a "terrific" talent in front of goal.
Southampton must curse their luck that he's never been able to reach these devastating heights at St. Mary's, but knowing full well of what he can be capable of, that's why they're driving a hard bargain, hopeful that a team like Morrison and Co. are willing to take a risk.
The worry will be that West Brom won't be prepared to put forward the cash they want, having been recently priced out for a £5m move for Danny Imray, who is set to join free-spending Wrexham, over returning to the Baggies for good.
If the Midlands giants don't have the necessary funds, Southampton will move on, confident that another second tier club will take the plunge, with the much-talked-about striker noted as having 'substantial' Championship interest in his services, when West Brom were first named as a suitor.
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