Southampton are readying an improved offer for Napoli forward Manolo Gabbiadini, after the Serie A side decreased their asking price following initial negotiations.
Claude Puel's side inefficiency in front of goal has been their biggest problem all season, and so an extra option in attack seems to be a necessity. However, with the end of the January transfer window drawing ever nearer, it looks as if the 25-year-old Italian is the club's last chance to bring in reinforcements before the summer.
Time running out
For pretty much the whole season, Southampton's level of performance would suggest they are higher in the table than their underwhelming eleventh place. Even against the top teams, Southampton have seldom been outplayed, and have dominated the balance of play regularly.
However, there is one crucial facet of the game in which the Saints find themselves immensely wanting in; goal-scoring. Time and time again this season, manager Puel's men have done everything right besides putting the ball between the posts, costing them heaps of points this season.
The issues in front of goal were displayed perfectly in Southampton's 1-0 victory in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final with Liverpool. Sure, the Saints won the game but, instead of travelling up to Anfield for the return leg with the tie in the bag, are still arguably underdogs due to poor finishing.
Despite a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Champions Leicester at the weekend, Southampton still have the worst shot conversion rate in the Premier League, scoring with just 9.3% of their shots.
This immensely worrying statistic has as of yet failed to spark the men at the top of the Southampton hierarchy into life this January, with the seemingly obvious need for a new striker so far ignored on the South Coast, despite Puel having just two out-and-out strikers at his disposal.
However, with just a week of the transfer window to go, it looks like the Saints are slowly but surely making progress at the negotiating table, and the signing of that elusive forward could be just around the corner.
Napoli drop their price
Manolo Gabbiadini was rumoured to be one of Southampton's main targets long before the window opened but for a while, negotiations were tedious and unsuccessful.
With Executive Director Les Reed at his savvy best, Napoli's initial asking price of £18 million was met with an almost insulting bid of £13 million from the Saints.
Nevertheless, Reed's firm and tight approach looks like being successful, with the Naples club lowering Gabbiadini's value to £14.5 million in the recent days.
Considering Southampton's desperation for a new striker, combined with the funds accumulated from selling their best players for high prices over the past few years, one would think Reed would be more than willing to cough an extra million and a half pounds to potentially end his club's issues in front of goal.
Not the solution?
While any new forward would improve Southampton's situation in front of goal, Gabbiadini may not be the player they are looking for.
The Saints simply need a player to consistently score goals for them. They are creating plenty of chances, all that is required is for someone to stick the ball in the back of the net.
However, statistics suggest that the Italian will not give Southampton the edge they need to end their finishing problems. In his three seasons in Naples, Gabbiadini has managed a modest 16 goals in 56 appearances.
Although these numbers are far from atrocious, they show how he is more of a creative forward than the trademark lethal, ruthless, and clinical striker Puel is looking for. On top of that, Gabbiadini will have to adapt quickly to a new, faster style of play than he is used to, having played in Italy all his career.
All in all, it looks like Southampton's latest signing could strengthen their attack in terms of quantity but, crucially, not quality.