With the January transfer window now open, Southampton may well be eyeing up a striker to add some extra firepower for their promotion push.
If you would have said Southampton would be interested in signing a striker a handful of months ago it would likely have come as a surprise, but with Che Adams facing an uncertain future and Ross Stewart effectively ruled out for the rest of the season it is now a very real possibility.
With Adams’ contract expiring in the summer it is likely that any reasonable offer this month will be accepted by the Saints to avoid losing the Scotland international for free. When you take this and Stewart’s absence into consideration, Adam Armstrong and Sékou Mara could be the only strikers available for the rest of the season in the absence of any incomings.
With that in mind, as well as manager Russell Martin being tasked with delivering a return to the Premier League at the first attempt this season, a clinical centre-forward would be a welcome addition.
According to HITC Football, that man could be Hearts and Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland. Celtic are seemingly in the ascendency regarding a move for the 28-year-old, but Southampton are one of a number of clubs name-checked as being interested in Shankland’s services.
What would Lawrence Shankland bring to Southampton?
The short answer is goals and, with Adam Armstrong the only regular goalscorer for Southampton, this would be very welcome.
At 28, Shankland should be at his peak. He is a late bloomer, with last season the first time he has been prolific in a top flight season at any point in his career; scoring 21 goals in the Scottish Premiership.
This season, Shankland has already hit 18 goals in all competitions. 13 of these goals have come in the league, making him the SPL top goalscorer, and he has also provided three assists. Shankland has also played seven games for Scotland, scoring twice, but is currently behind Adams in the pecking order at international level.
Shankland is an intelligent footballer who tends to play his best football as a second striker, meaning he could link up well with Adam Armstrong should he make the move to Southampton. He can hold the ball up but also likes to drift into pockets of space to create chances for either himself or his teammates, as evidenced by his 24 key passes in the league this season.
The striker has a cultured right foot but is not shy in using his weaker left, and at 6 foot 1 he is a threat aerially too.
The good news for Southampton is that Shankland will not cost much. He is Hearts’ captain and best player so they will not want to let him go, but should Southampton offer somewhere in the region of the £1.5 million Shankland is valued at according to Transfermarkt then they will have to consider the offer.
The bad news is that there are a numerous clubs showing interest in Shankland’s signature and Celtic have a pull in Scotland that Southampton may not be able to match for a Scottish player who has played the majority of his career in the lower leagues in his homeland.
If Shankland comes in and scores the goals that fire Southampton back to the Premier League then that fee will seem like a drop in the ocean.