Southampton have turned their attention to Everton academy graduate Tom Davies to solve their midfield woes.
The Saints have lost their opening two games of the season with the hole in midfield left by outgoing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg evident. Ralph Hassenhuttl sacrificed his captain for £15m earlier in the transfer window and could now be looking to reinforce his squad before October's transfer deadline.
Tom Davies is one name linked to the south coast, following the raft of new arrivals challenging for his place in Everton's line-up. Davies established himself as an energetic midfielder under Marco Silva but could find playing time hard to come by following Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez all signing for the Toffees.
Carlo Ancelotti could well welcome an offer for Davies, given the wealth of options he has in the centre. Andre Gomes, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fabian Delph could well all find themselves ahead of Davies in the pecking order - along with the new faces.
Davies would certainly slot into Hasenhuttl's 4-2-2-2 formation as a player with experience in a midfield double-pivot, acting as a foil for James Ward-Prowse, while also getting forward to help create in the final third.
Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina both exiting to Fulham means that two more midfield options have left the club during this window. Hasenhuttl only has four recognisable central midfielders at his disposal, with Ward-Prowse and Oriel Romeu the most likely pairing from his squad. Given the importance of hard-running midfielders in Hasenhuttl's system, it's almost inevitable that at least one new player will sign.
RANKED! The Premier League's reported top five earners
Another player linked with Southampton in recent days is Florentino Luis of Benfica. The 21-year-old midfielder reportedly has a release clause of €100m but would certainly go for a lot less if the Portuguese outfit received a satisfactory offer.
Fulham and Leeds United are also said to be interested in the wonderkid, while AC Milan could yet join the race for his signature. Though Southampton may have the least money of the three, they perhaps have the most exciting project under Hasenhuttl and could look to offer a loan deal for the starlet.
IN THE MAG Inside the new Manchester United, Pirlo the manager, Rush, Drogba, Bury, Belarus, latest signings and more
Jovane Cabral is another Portuguese player linked with a move to St. Mary's for around £17m, while the rumours that Danny Ings may be a target for Tottenham Hotspur persist. Ings apparently has no interest in leaving, despite an admiration from Jose Mourinho, who desperately wants another striker on his books.
Along with Kyle Walker-Peters joining permanently from Tottenham this summer after a loan spell last season, Southampton's only summer signing remains Ghanian defender Mohammed Salisu.
NOW READ...
LOWER LEAGUES "I’d love to have a conversation about what the Premier League should do with its £1.5bn reserves" – the harsh realities of life in England's lower leagues this summer
RANKED! The 100 greatest FIFA songs ever
GUIDE Premier League live stream best VPN: how to watch every game from anywhere in the world
