Amid rumours of a potential return to St Mary’s for Danny Ings, Southampton are now showing interest in signing a different Premier League striker.
The Saints are believed to be willing to spend £6m to bring the England international – who left for Aston Villa in August 2021 – back to the south coast, as he now finds himself surplus to requirements at West Ham, according to the Daily Mail.
So, which striker are Southampton monitoring as well as Danny Ings? Let’s take a look…
Southampton eye Cameron Archer
A story from talkSPORT now claims that Southampton could make a move to sign Cameron Archer.
The 22-year-old has experienced a strange 12 months, moving from Aston Villa to Sheffield United back in August 2023 for a sum of £18m in a unique deal, which included a clause obligating the Villans to buy him back for the same fee if the Blades suffered relegation.
That is exactly what happened as Sheffield United finished 20th in the Premier League last season, although talkSPORT believe Unai Emery has no intention of keeping Archer at Villa Park.
As a result, Southampton are considering a swoop for his signature as Russell Martin attempts to bolster his attack this summer and find a replacement for Che Adams – who looks likely to join Nottingham Forest on a free transfer.
Saints could sign a “massive talent”
If Southampton do manage to sign Archer, it could prove to be one of the best deals of the summer.
Before his £18m move to Sheffield United, the England U21 international – who Steven Gerrard called a “massive talent” – was hot property in English football, scoring 17 goals in 36 games for Aston Villa’s U21 side, before netting 11 goals in 23 games while on loan at Middlesbrough.
Archer only managed four Premier League goals in 30 appearances at Sheffield United last season, although even Kylian Mbappe may have struggled to perform in that side, which conceded a record 104 goals in 38 games, scoring just 35 in total.
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Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Aston Villa attempt to find a buyer for the man from Walsall…