Southampton now lining up late bid to sign new £390k-p/y forward for Juric

Southampton are now pushing to sign a new forward before the transfer window closes, and have identified an EFL star as their main focus as they look to bolster their ranks.

Southampton improving under Juric

Since the sacking of Russell Martin and subsequent arrival of Ivan Juric, Southampton have undoubtedly improved, but have failed to pick up the results to show for it. The Saints remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League with just one win to their name all season, and have picked up just six points, none of those under their new manager.

However, there have been signs of progress, with the south coast side having been by far the better side against Manchester United only to be stung by a late hat-trick from Amad Diallo to leave Old Trafford with nothing.

They continue to struggle at both ends of the pitch, scoring the fewest goals in the Premier League this campaign while also conceding the second most, a combination that is only likely to end one way for the St Mary’s side.

With the club now likely resigned to spending next season in the Championship, they have seen strong interest in star man Tyler Dibling this winter, and are likely to lose the talented forward in the not-so-distant future amid interest from Tottenham and others.

Now, perhaps in preparation for that fact, they are looking to raid the Championship once more ahead of their potential return to England’s second tier.

Southampton lining up move for Cardiff City star

That comes as Football Insider reveal that Southampton are one of four sides chasing a late move to sign Cardiff City forward Ollie Tanner this month.

Tanner has impressed in England’s second tier so far this season, grabbing two goals and two assists, while his versatility has seen him play on both sides of attack.

He has always been talented, with one former coach dubbing him “special” and “the best I ever worked with”, something that tempted Tottenham into making an offer to sign him, only for Cardiff to beat them to the punch.

And his performances this season have reportedly caught the eye, with Leeds United, Burnley, Southampton and Leicester all on his tail as they plot a late move for the 22-year-old.

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When quizzed, Cardiff boss Omer Riza played down the links, explaining: “No. Ollie’s a young lad, he’s one of ours and he’s doing really well. We need him, like we need all the other players in our team, and he’s doing well. He’s focused on doing his job at Cardiff and that’s it, really.”

And with two and a half years left to run on his £7,500 a week deal in Wales, any deal looks difficult at this late stage, with Cardiff also looking to stave off relegation themselves. However, several clubs are willing to try, and Southampton appear to be among them.