According to media reports in Spain Barcelona are bracing themselves for a January bid from Southampton for one of their strikers.
Saints are said to be interested in taking stiker Paco Acacer from the Nou Camp in January for what would surely be a club record fee.
Alcacer joined Barcelona in the summer of 2016 in a €30 million move from Valencia but scored only eight goals in 28 games during his debut season in Catalonia, including six in 21 La Liga appearances, a decent enough record at most clubs but not at Barca and they now seem willing to move him on.
Alcacer also has 13 caps for Spain and has scored 6 times a decent record although it was not good enough to earn him a place in the squad for the Euro finals in France in 2016 and his lack of game time at Barca has seen him drop down the pecking order in the last year.
Saints are now said to be interested although this could be mainly down to the fact that our lack of goals this season will see us linked with every striker gong.
Alcacer is diminutive at 5ft 9 1/2 and looks to be in the same mould as Manolo Gabbiadini prompting questions as to how we would fit them both in the team and indeed keep Shane Long and Charlie Austin happy at the club.
With still over 10 weeks to go before the transfer window opens and media speculation about Van Dijk leaving in January a situation that would leave Saints seriously minted, this won't be the last rumour leading up to the turn of the year.