Reports in the media are saying that Adam Lallana could return to Southampton suggesting that both player and the club are in favour of the move.

Rumours are doing the rounds that Adam Lallana could be about to leave Anfield and make the return journey to St Mary's.

Certainly at 31 and having struggled with injury his time on Merseyside seems to be coming to a natural end, tis season has seen him start only 5 times in the Premier League with another 8 appearances off the bench, he has not added much more in other competitions starting just 1 Champions League game and another 2 as sub failing to score in any of these games.

The previous season was not much better, he started just 1 league game and 11 off the bench, with only another 3 games in other competitions and again no goals.

That means that he has not scored in two years in any competition although in his defence he has barely played in that time and when he has has been in a side that his job would be to provide rather than score with both Salah & Mane providing the main goal threat.

This is not a good record in any terms though, so what would be attractive to Saints signing him ?

Firstly having only turned 31 a week or so ago he still has a couple of years left him in and is still a gifted player if fit, however the last two years don't offer any real hope that he can play any more games in the next two seasons than the last two.

It should also be said that his game isn't paced entirely on pace but more on skill and ability.

It could be a deal worth doing, but given his injury record and the fact that he has only a couple of years left at the truly top level and no resale value, it would have to be at the right price.

The price being quoted in the press is £13 million and I would say that is far too much given the risk involved with injuries.

Perhaps at half that price Saints might be interested in taking a punt, but any more than that would take a real chunk out of the transfer budget that could perhaps best be used elsewhere.

At this moment in time it is probably a rumour being spread by his agent, certainly Liverpool will be concentrating on the Champions League at present and would not be wanting to disrupt that preparation by getting involved in transfer talks with any of their players.

So if Liverpool do want to shift Lallana to Saints then they will have to drop the price or look to a club that could afford to take a punt at that price and I would say that the only clubs that would be in a position to do that on all aspects would be either Spurs or West Ham, although my outside bet would be a return to Bournemouth where he started in their academy and also played on loan from Saints.

Lallana's time at Liverpool has possibly not been the success that he had hoped, although injury has played a big part in that. 79 Premier League starts and 34 off the bench is not the record he would have hoped for with only 17 goals, although that can be tempered by an appearance in the Champions League final last season when he came off the bench for Mo Salah after only 30 minutes.

So if as it seems his career at Anfield is over, would Saints fans be ready to welcome him back, his departure was acrimonious at the time for two reasons, firstly in the way that it was done and all parties concerned including Saints played their part in that, Lallana leaving was not like Dejan Lovren who wanted out at the first opportunity at St Mary's, Lallana had turned down chances to leave before notably when we went down to League 1, so he had proved his loyalty and perhaps having played over 250 games for the club deserved his big money move.

If it had been handled better he should have left as a genuine Saints legend, after all the likes of Mick Channon and even Ricky Lambert departed with their reputations intact.

So Saints fans have to ask themselves two questions, firstly can they forgive him and secondly is he still good enough to play at the top level, most would say he is if injury free but that is the big question.

So what do you feel, would you welcome Adam Lallana back into the fold, give your views below and use the link to vote in the poll.

https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/members/!/polls/2299/would-yo

Photo: Action Images

mgprobert added 10:16 - May 19 He took the money and left. You can't blame him for that, but it wasn't the best of circumstances. Liverpool and Saints have moved on. He doesn't seem to fit the profile Ralph has hinted at. Someone younger, quicker, and less injury prone would be a less risky bet, and the squad already has too many fringe players. But I wish him well somewhere.
8

underweststand added 10:42 - May 19 I wondered how long it would take before this one came up ? We should remember that this was at the time that Pochettino suddenly up and left to go to "that North London club......and many players panicked but Lallana wasn't the only one to leave that summer and many fans still have mixed opinions about them. I didn't begrudge Rickie Lambert the chance to go back to Liverpool, because he had DAJFU over several seasons, (but I wish he'd stayed a bit longer). Adam Lallana had also DAJFU having been at the club for over 10 years, and was at the height of his career and Liverpool must have looked a better bet than Saints who had just survived (once again). You should never deny people with ambition a chance to succeed. Personally ... I wouldn't mind seeing him return, and my biggest concern wouldn't be those fans who would continually want to barrack him, but if his fitness level was upto the necessary standard to play in a Haselhuttl team ?

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ChristchurchSaint added 10:43 - May 19 Take him on loan till January, then review his fitness and attitude. He was a very good player, but left under a cloud. If he came back, played well and scored some goals, I think fans would probably accept him back.
0

amsterdamsaint added 11:18 - May 19 13 million way too much money. He is 31 .
6

redj added 12:00 - May 19 mgprobert is right, it's not so much about how he left but whether he fits the profile of Ralph's team going forward. I think he probably has a chance of playing at this level and may well go on and prove himself with a Premier team. I am less convinced he is fast enough physically and mentally to play the kind of football Ralph wants.
2

AirFlorida added 12:53 - May 19 If the price is right for someone prone to injury and past their best then yeah. From my memory of returning players none have come back better or anything near how they used to play..ie Beatie. But, if we get him on reasonable wages he's the type of player who could come on and win us a couple of games in a season..which could be the difference between staying up.. Or getting into the top 8.

1

AirFlorida added 13:14 - May 19 If the price is right for someone prone to injury and past their best then yeah. From my memory of returning players none have come back better or anything near how they used to play..ie Beatie. But, if we get him on reasonable wages he's the type of player who could come on and win us a couple of games in a season..which could be the difference between staying up.. Or getting into the top 8.

-1

highfield49 added 13:22 - May 19 As he's out of contract next summer Liverpool are clearly hoping to unload him for as much as they can get and a loan move wouldn't work in their favour. Would we want to sign him on a free transfer next summer? I think not as he's another year nearer retirement. I wish him well but somewhere other than St Mary's.
2

andywelsh added 13:30 - May 19 Much as I think he could do a job and have no hard feelings against him this is a total non starter. At 31 he is certainly not a young hungry jewel to be polished as Hassenhuttl has constantly profiled the players he wants to sign. Nobody over 24 will be signed by us this summer.
0

dirk_doone added 13:50 - May 19 It's up to Ralph. Whoever he decides will strengthen our team is fine by me and will have my full support. The Les Reed PR 'leaks' stirred up a lot of negative feelings towards nearly all of the players and managers he got rid of and some of that mud has stuck. Hopefully, now that Reed has gone, a lot of that negativity and dishonesty has too. Ralph has been honest about the fact that the club needs to sell players, whereas Reed never was, and tried to convince fans that we wanted to keep them and that they were only being sold because of their greed, not the owners'.

-7

darthvader added 14:16 - May 19 No he can fück right off .
1

landsdownsaint added 14:33 - May 19 Get him back , he’s a Saint who just wanted a bit of glamour & more money ( who wouldn’t ) even when I saw him in a liverhampton shirt I thought It didn’t look right on him , I think Bournemouth will be sniffing , bring the wayward child home I say
-1

ItchenNorth added 15:13 - May 19 I'd rather Boufal be given an opportunity. I believe that Boufal under Hasenhuttl will be a far better fit. He's got the skills, he always gave 100%, but now we have a manager and beginnings of a team that he could fit into and shine..
8

no7saint added 16:00 - May 19 I'm with Dirk, if Ralph wants him that's good enough for me. I think we've missed him as much as any other departing player of the last few years, i.e. someone creative who can turn a game with an individual moment of brilliance. It hurt when he left as he had grown up with us through the bad and good years but I would welcome him back if he's what we need.
-3

SonicBoom added 16:19 - May 19 Get him then put his head on a spike at staplewood as a warning to the others.
1

vanmans added 16:32 - May 19 No why would we want that injury prone Judas. He is way to old.
2

allsaint54 added 17:37 - May 19 No, no, no, np
4

saintmark1976 added 18:49 - May 19 We already appear to be contracted to purchase one ineffective injury prone Liverpool cast off, so why on earth would we want another?
5

Colburn added 22:05 - May 19 I agree Itchen North, would rather see Ralph try to brig best out of Boufal. No issues with Lallana coming back, although disappointed with how he left, never beat a grudge eh.. Remember what he did to help us get to the Prem.. However no more than £8m for me for a 31 year old we will get 20 games a season from. Be happy to see him back personally but not for £13m.
1

Colburn added 22:06 - May 19 *bear a grudge*
0

LoisDeem added 10:03 - May 20 Enough! This fan is waiting for some good players to be seriously connected with our club, and Ralph's vision for the future. If there is intent from within the boardroom, they do need to show their hand very soon, we are all expecting movement, with the only business to be conducted with L'pool concerning Ings.
2

NewburySaint added 13:22 - May 20 No! His behaviour in engineering his move away, and then the horrible Daily Echo double spread after leaving, should be enough not to welcome him back. I have consistently said i respect Lovren more, despite some of his ill advised comments, because at least he had the b£$%^cks to hand in a transfer request!
6

SaintBrock added 13:34 - May 20 "No! His behaviour in engineering his move away, and then the horrible Daily Echo double spread after leaving, should be enough not to welcome him back". Thank you for lending we your words NewburySaint.
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BoondockSaint added 15:00 - May 20 The Scouse trying to cut their losses and looking for some club to be stupid enough to overpay for their castoffs (decent player, but 20 million for Ings????).....don't they know Les Reed doesn't work here any more?
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