Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier has been speaking on his former club’s chances of survival upon their return to the Premier League this season.
Russell Martin could do with a player of Matt Le Tissier‘s ability as he looks to keep Southampton in the Premier League, but unfortunately the Saints’ record Premier League goalscorer is a once in a lifetime player.
Instead, Martin has added the likes of Yukinari Sugawara, Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood to his squad this summer in a bid to strengthen the backline.
With five of the eight summer arrivals being defenders, Southampton look light up front and this is of particular concern for Le Tissier.
Matt Le Tissier claims Southampton ‘desperate’ for goalscorer
Le Tissier scored 184 goals for Southampton, spending his entire career at the club to receive hero status in the city.
With that in mind, the 55-year-old knows a thing or two about what it takes to score goals in the top flight and that is his biggest worry when looking at the current crop of Saints.
Le Tissier went on the World Class Stamp podcast to preview the season ahead in an interview in which he also revealed when he found out that Adam Lallana was set to secure a return to the club after a decade away.
Speaking on what Southampton need to have a chance of staying in the division come the end of the season, Le Tisser said: “I think we’re still desperate for a goal scorer, Adam’s (Armstrong’s) always scored goals in the Championship pretty regularly, obviously was our top goal scorer last season. I think he’ll need help.
“I think we we need to find somebody who can kind of guarantee between 15 and 18 goals next season to give us a realistic chance of staying up.”
Southampton unlikely to sign 15-goal Premier League striker
Whilst most Southampton fans will be in agreement with Le Tissier, it is incredibly difficult for a newly-promoted side to sign a player that offers such a guarantee.
To highlight how big a feat this would be, only 11 players managed to break 15 goals in the Premier League last season.
The good news is that Southampton are expected to try and sign another striker following the arrival of Brereton Diaz.
If they are unlikely to be able to afford a player that guarantees 15 goals, they could instead benefit from having a number of forwards who can chip in.
That is more likely what Martin is looking for, with creativity also needed in midfield and at least one winger to supply chances for the centre-forwards.