Southampton may have been skeptical of paying £20m for Mamadou Sakho in January, but the upcoming summer window could see Claude Puel linked up with a fellow Frenchman.

After losing Jose Fonte to West Ham and Virgil van Dijk to injury, many had Sakho nailed on to join the South coast side.

Instead, a turn of events meant that the former PSG man held up blue and red stripes as he secured a loan move away from Liverpool to Crystal Palace.

Sam Allardyce - a man of defensive-first tactics - must be gleaming too; his side haven't conceded since the arrival of Sakho.

Which begs the question: Should Saints make a move for Liverpool's £20 million man?

Attitude

One problem that always seems to surface when clubs are linked with a move for Sakho is his attitude, which seemingly led to the rift between himself and Jürgen Klopp.

Being found guilty to have broken an anti-doping rule wasn't the turning point in their relationship - it came in the resulting pre-season.

Liverpool were set to leave for a club tour of the USA, but Sakho wasn't; his late arrivals for the flight, medical sessions and a team meal poked the nerves of his coaching staff.

Not only was he sent home from the US, but Klopp made sure he wasn't part of his first team plans for the season.

Which meant that Palace were the first team he's made a run-out for so far this season - perhaps in his only three games, showcasing a man of changed attitude.

If his form carries on, it could either mean he's taken u-turn and wants to be successful or in fact is drawing teams in to what they could overspend on and potentially regret.

There have been many cases of players doing well on loan and securing big-money deals: Toby Alderweireld, Romelu Lukaku and Andy Carroll are classic examples.

A recent player who had been lighting it up on loan at Bournemouth is Nathan Ake who, as one of Chelsea's previously 38 loaned-out players, looks set to be a star.

Alternative option

With Southampton's record for signing young talent; Nathaniel Clyne, Nathan Redmond and Sofiane Boufal spring to mind; Ake could be yet another smart addition in the summer.

His style of play fits the bill, where Sakho is perhaps awkward to watch while in possession on occasion, Ake blossomed under Eddie Howe.

Formerly being used as a full back for Watford, the 22-year-old is comfortable carrying the ball out from the back - similarly to another Netherlands native.

The prospect of having van Dijk and Ake at the back is in some ways too good to be true, mostly due to the fact that the former will most likely seek out much-needed Champions League football.

Saints fans will be able to view Bournemouth this coming weekend, as the Cherries travel to St. Mary's for a Saturday-evening kick off.