With the January transfer window on the horizon, Southampton are optimistic of improving their survival hopes this season with the addition of Nicolás Gaitán, but face stiff competition for the winger's signature as bottom-half rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also linked with the player, alongside Sam Allardyce's Everton.
The Saints are anticipating to add quality to their attacking options following the devastating news that Charlie Austin may miss the majority of the campaign due to a hamstring injury, and are eyeing up Gaitán as the player to help rise the club up the Premier League table.
The 29 year-old has found his chances at Atletico Madrid of Spain at a premium with his first-team opportunities few and far between. He has been restricted to just six league appearances for the continental giants and it's highly likely he'll depart the Spanish capital this winter.
Saints desperate for goals
One of the significant issues Mauricio Pellegrino has found himself upon since arrival on the Hampshire coast is his side's lack of goal scoring, albeit creating enough chances to win at least fifty per cent of their games this season.
Just as Crystal Palace, who are one of the club's rivals for Nicolás Gaitán, goals are the main problem and that has seen Southampton slip down the league ladder to a scary two points above the relegation zone and it's clear the Argentinian target would dramatically help the team in the final third.
Gaitán's talents saw him earn a dream move to Atletico Madrid eighteen months ago after plying his trade for numerous years in Portugal at Lisbon-based outfit Benfica. His ability to use both feet at a comfortable level and put chances on the plate for strikers, he did swiftly become one of the most wanted men in Europe.
His lacklustre spell in Spain certainly hasn't kept away his advantages and that is Southampton desperately need the player's signature this January. Pellegrino's men are currently averaging one goal a game, nowhere near enough to help lift the Saints away from the bottom three and potentially into the top-half, but Nicolás Gaitán would be a massive stride to achieving that goal.