The Liverpool Echo is running with a story this morning suggesting that Daniel Sturridge is unhappy at Anfield and wants a move.
Although the report itself does not suggest that Sturridge may join Saints, indeed two clubs mentioned are West Ham and Stoke City, the whisper in the media is that the Liverpool striker would be better suited to Southampton and that we could be going to make a move.
Certainly it is unlikely that Sturridge, especially with his injury record would attract the attention of the other five clubs in the so called big six, so that will leave him looking lower down the Premier League for his next destination.
That being the case the acknowledged 7th club in English football at the moment is Saints and a move to St Mary's would be very attractive to the England International who this season has almost as many World Cup goals for England to his name than he does Premier League starts for Liverpool.
There will be two issues for Sturridge, the first is a club that will give him game time and the second a club that can afford both his transfer fee and wages.
The striker is reported to be on £120k a week at Liverpool and one of their highest earners and that is going to be an issue for any club given that his true value is probably barely half that given his injury record and also the fact that he still has two years left on his contract at the end of this season.
So from this point of view it would need a club that would be attractive to him in terms of the chance to win something to entice him to take less, also perhaps the hope that Liverpool might be prepared to bargain on this front in order to make him an attractive signing financially.
Sturridge's transfer fee is being quoted as £28 million in the Liverpool Echo article, the reality is that it will be much less and Saints could bargain down that fee or persuade Liverpool to use some of it to pay off Sturridge's contract.
The key to securing this deal or indeed any other transfer in the January window is where Saints are in the season, if they are still in the Europa League with perhaps a favourable draw, if they have also overcome Arsenal to make the League Cup semi's as well as still in the top ten, then this is something that would attract the likes of Sturridge, although in this case the player is cup tied in the League Cup.
This story is good news to Saints fans for two reasons, firstly many would like to see a striker brought in during the January window and Sturridge is a quality player who despite his injury issues has still averaged a goal every two games in all games played in both this season and last.
Secondly it is nice to see a player being linked as leaving Anfield and coming to St Mary's and not the other way round for once.