Southampton are being touted as a potential suitor for Sunderland striker Ross Stewart, but if they sign him, it could be that it will be two months before he would make his debut, is that something that Saints could risk.

Ross Stewart has been big news during the transfer window and has been linked with a number of clubs, the72.co.uk are one claiming that "Southampton have re-ignited their interest" but there is one condition that Sunderland will apply.

The condition that the Mackem's will be applying is that they will not let him leave unless they have already signed a replacement, which with just over 60 hours left of the transfer window as I write, is going to mean a lot of wheeling and dealing.

But that isn't the strange twist , that is the fact that Stewart has been out injured and isn't likely to resume full training to the end of September.

He ruptured his Achilles back in January and hasn't played since, add to that he also had a thigh injury earlier in the season and there is the question of why Southampton or indeed any club interested would sign a player who is potentially two months away from actually being ready to play in a competitive game.

The attraction is that Stewart in just 13 games in the Championship last season scored 10 goals plus 3 assists, but the gamble is that he will return the same player that he was, an injury to the Achilles can be difficult in that it can affect the players ability to run in the same way as before the injury, there is the question of whether it will rob the victim of a yard of their pace.

So this is the question that any buying club will have to consider when making the bid.

To soften the blow is the fact that Stewart is in the last year of his contract, Sunderland have to balance up the situation and consider whether it will be better to get something now, perhaps more in January if he comes back as explosively as he left off or take the risk of losing him in the summer for nothing.

Given that transfermarkt have his value as only around £3 million at present, due to his inexperience in England at even Championship level, it is possibly a gamble that both Sunderland in keeping him and potential buying clubs would be willing to take.

But if Che Adams leave, Saints need a striker now and waiting two months for him to firstly be fit and secondly if he is the same player, is probably a little bit too much of a risk.

Photo: Action Images

highfield49 added 10:54 - Aug 30 Let's be honest, none of the centre forwards rumoured to be on the radar is getting any of us even remotely interested. Considering the amount of player data and network contacts available at the club I'm just hoping that they're working on signing a gem rather than another no hoper. I'm not even pretending that it's easy to sign the right player, certainly at an affordable fee, but the club has significantly more to offer than several rivals. Let's hope that when the smokescreen clears this week we're all positive rather than despondent.

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Centurion added 10:58 - Aug 30 Saints have enough money to buy a really good striker if they want to. Money talks. A failure to buy a striker, if necessary paying slightly over the odds, will be testament to our real ambitions for promotion. No excuses.
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Block8 added 12:00 - Aug 30 The reality is we are in the Championship, despite having money it's not where the good strikers want to be. The way we play there is a need for pace & a bit of brutality as we are unlikely to hit a lot of crosses in for a big man. Someone who has scored at this level is our requirements at the present!
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EvertonSaint added 12:46 - Aug 30 This is getting more like Beano for rumours. The Daily Echo are even worse. None of the potential transfers are something that gets the taste buds working.with all this money we have collected, the fans deserve a more positive attitude from those who are looking for good players. A centre forward and two new centre-halves are essential. We got away with murder last Saturday due to over passing and desperately need to replenish the squad. Manning has been poor, Bree, Djnepo must be sold and whoever came up with the idea that Stephens was a captain of the first team?

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AgrellaSFC added 13:07 - Aug 30 If it's so easy and 'money talks', why are we struggling to persuade our own striker to stay? Clearly prem strikers don't want to relegate themselves. We should have beaten Leeds to Piroe or done some proper scouting in the top 5 leagues, not the Belgium and Swiss league. Fed up of seeing Southampton linked with awful league strikers but maybe that's our level at the moment.

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saintmark1976 added 14:01 - Aug 30 We are looking to solve a problem which doesn’t exist. We already have an experienced Championship striker with an excellent scoring record in that division, his name is Adams. For once Sports Republic do the sensible thing, pay the fella whatever he wants to extend his current contract and stop fanning about looking at nobodies from Scotland, Belgium and Switzerland.

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sidsaint added 19:36 - Aug 30 Our present squad are better placed to get us back to the prem than buying a number of proven championship players. Our ambition is to get back to the premiership asap not to establish ouselves in the championship.
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