Saints are being linked with Portugese and an American central defenders but the news won't please the supporters.

Saints are being said to be ready to bid for Artur Jorge of Vitoria Sebutal, the 25 year old has been having a great season for the club whom he joined from Braga in the summer of 2018.

But what won't raise the supporters hopes is the fee, said to be in the region of £1.3 million for the player who can play either at centre back or on the right side of the defence.

However perhaps comparisons can be drawn with another Portugese defender Jose Fonte who when he signed for Saints in 2010 for a similar fee as that being asked for Jorge, he had also played for Vitoria Sebutal and like Jorge spent most of his career before joining Crystal Palace at the age of 24 being loaned out to lower level clubs and never really establishing himself.

So it seems Saints are hoping that history can repeat itself, I would guess that this would be a cheap gamble for Saints, they feel that at this price they have nothing to lose and Jorge could be better than several of the central defenders we have on option at the moment.

It would not necessarily mean that we would not sign a more expensive central defender as well, but for the money it is worth a shout.

So I would be optimistic about this deal should it happen, I like many don't know much about Jorge, but we need to bring in new personnel in the back four as to be blunt three of them are just not up to the job.

Also being mentioned is New York Red Bull's Aaron Long who is said to be being offered to the club for £4.6 million, at 27 he has extensive experience in the MLS and also 15 caps for the USA, but that is not the experience that Saints need at the is period in time as the MLS is far from the levels of the Premier League.

So on this signing I would be less optimistic than I would be should we sign Jorge, the money to be spent will take a significant chunk out of the budget and he is not proven.

The reality is that if we are to survive then we need to bring in at least one central defender proven at Premier League level and there are plenty of options out there including Ben Gibson at Burnley.

I won't get too wound up at this news today, this is the start of the January Transfer window silly season where players agents start to push their clients into the spotlight, football club's don't tend to reveal their transfer targets or plans so that they can avoid dutch auctions with other clubs, so being linked with a player is far far from actually being interested in buying him so should not be used as another stick to beat the club with, the reality is that this news has not come from Saints.

Photo: Action Images

Jesus_02 added 10:00 - Nov 18 We need a leader at the back , not a startled rabbit , or "one for the future". If we get this wrong we are doomed.
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underweststand added 10:24 - Nov 18 if we can assume that these players have been scouted /watched / given the OK by the Black Box ..(or whatever it takes to decide these days)..then go ahead for goodness sake. Apparantly ...we are talking £2-4 million plus an average type salary (not £65 K /week) Bednarek only cost £5 miilion - was it ? and he wasn't even an international at the time. ..so what is there to lose?...we are not talking £20 million.

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1970 added 10:33 - Nov 18 like you say its silly season for transfers but as a saints fan I'm not to bothered how much we spend on players its all about them wanting to play for us and have that give there all attitude but to scout and find a player that we have needed for three years for just 1.3 million is a complete joke especially when there have been so many defenders available during that time including one of the Leicester players johnny evans who cost peanuts,as mentioned if we get this wrong then were doomed, I think were doomed anyway solely because of the owners lack of ambition/investment in the clear weaknesses in the team but we live in hope

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Boris1977 added 11:08 - Nov 18 Is Ollie Lancaster still playing? This season, in addition to feeling worse than the last few, reminds me of 2008/09 season when we were mentally related by December after the hopeless defeat at home to forest. The board have lost the support of the majority of the fans for a wide number of reasons on and off the pitch and a rumour that they may be interested in buying another CB on the cheap is yet another example of the lack of genuine intent. To be clear, constantly replacing premiership class players with cheap successors does not, indeed has not worked. After the performance of the last two home games still particularly fresh in the collective memory the owner and the board could at least remind us what strategy they are pursuing. This would not cost them any money but would at least demonstrate that they acknowledge that we exist and would serve to curb the rumours that the board don't have any plan in place, other than to cream off profits. I am seriously worried that for what ever financial reason the club is being neglected and there will be a very nasty sting on the tail for us fans. This is our club and our love - not a cash cow to be milked dry by a absent owner and a clientism self interested board.

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Saint4Life247 added 11:09 - Nov 18 Great to hear we are finally linked with defenders. I agree with underweststand though that if they have been properly scouted and identified as the right players then go and get them and quick! After reading various reports and rumours my first thoughts were 'who?!' followed by 'how much?!' followed by 'FFS!!!'.... However, on reflection I guess it doesn't matter if they aren't household names or cost £50m each as long as they can do the job. We have to be really carefully signing anyone at the moment with the possibility of relegation hanging over ourselves. Going down with huge wage bills and long contracts has lasting damage on clubs. Its hard enough to get rid of our rubbish players as a premiership team but it would be harder if we go down and we would take even more of a hit on them. I would like to see some sensible acquisitions in January. 2x solid defenders that can defend would be nice and 2x creative midfielders that can provide that vital link to the lads up front is much needed. No B team, injury prone lightweights who have 'potential' - just solid professionals who can do their jobs and give 100%.

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I_would added 11:46 - Nov 18 It all depends on how much money Gao can borrow on top of all his other loans. I would guess he will also sell any players that they get bids for in Jan. Prem rel odds now evens so nothing really matters anymore.
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bstokesaint added 12:46 - Nov 18 Like others on here I think we’re doomed already. The chances of getting the right calibre of player in and enough of them to reverse our fortunes and play as a team, whilst having faith in the current manager/regime feels like an enormous ask. I can’t recall anyone saving their b@cksides in the winter window – it just smacks of desperation. I appreciate how negative it sounds, but as Saint4Life247 says I think the board will have one eye on wages based on a season in the Championship. They’ll definitely be less opportunity then for the owners to skim cash from transfers as we’ll need a firesale to level the books. Then, we’ll truly understand where we all stand when the owner is forced to take a bit hit on their ‘investment’.

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underweststand added 12:58 - Nov 18 "Someone "..on another site, writes we shouldn't buy a 27 year old - he is TOO OLD. The one thing we lack is experience, and with Long. Yoshida or Bertrand possibly going out the door in the next year or so.. the oldest player on the staff will most likely be be .. Alex McCarthy.(!). we need experience - especially in central defence. Our biggest transfer blunder in the last few years probably wasn't Lemina or Carrillo but when Claude Puel OK'd the transfer of the (then) 31 year old Jose Fonte. A player, who despite his "veteran status" (in some eyes) has become a centre back of note with Lille and still manages to play CL games and internationals for Portugal. I don't know who the fan is who advocates buying all young players -who have little or no real experience (?), but at least we ought to be sure that they have passed their GCSE's before signing them.

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janecook added 13:02 - Nov 18 Looks like we are shopping in Poundland we are Doomed.
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Saintsforeverj added 13:51 - Nov 18 Nick, under this owner, I would be very surprised if we make any signings of note in January. They will again try to buy on the cheap, that's if we buy at all and probably young players when we need experience.
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Colburn added 14:31 - Nov 18 I don't think we're doomed just yet. We are just about to enter a run of games which on paper is the easiest part of our first half of the season. We wont really know where we are until Christmas. We've played 10 of the top 12 in our opening 11 games, winning tough matches at Brighton and Sheff Utd. So lets not panic just yet, the problem as mentioned by a few is our psychology and how low our confdence is coming in to this run of games against teams in the bottom half. Ralph needs help and fast. 3 ex goalkeepers is all he has it seems.. I think this is a bigger issue than the personnel. It doesn't matter who we bring in, the camp needs to be a positive one with belief and that is not the case today. Please sort proper support for Ralph and the players asap and replace Danny Rohl, preferably with Danny Rohl.. Surely he will be available again any day..

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halftimeorange added 17:33 - Nov 18 Whether we're doomed or not Ralph needs to stop tinkering every game (barring injury) and pick the same players, playing in their proper positions in a format they understand and he should make it clear that that will be the starting eleven for the next half dozen games. The players are chopped and changed around week-in, week-out. No wonder they can't perform together. Experiments are for pre-season, friendlies and meaningless cup ties, not when you're fighting for EPL survival. In any other business and, for that matter, most other clubs in our division, everyone knows their particular job. At St Marys it seems random selection rules.

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saintmark1976 added 18:04 - Nov 18 I assume that we can't possibly buy either of these two before the January window so this is rather a non story. In any event, if we don't get a minimum of ten points from the next six fixtures we will almost certainly be playing in the Championship next season.As a previous poster says it really will then be over by Christmas.
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Centurion added 19:20 - Nov 18 I would say it is worth a go. The next 4 games should pretty much seal our fate.
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aceofthebase added 09:35 - Nov 19 Why would any defender of quality want to come to Southampton in January? The writing on the wall says we are in extreme danger of being relegated. Why would the club want to buy an expensive player on top wages when his next season may be in the championship? It's not looking good and it looks like another average player is all that we can expect.
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aceofthebase added 09:35 - Nov 19 Why would any defender of quality want to come to Southampton in January? The writing on the wall says we are in extreme danger of being relegated. Why would the club want to buy an expensive player on top wages when his next season may be in the championship? It's not looking good and it looks like another average player is all that we can expect.
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KohSamuiSaints added 10:22 - Nov 19 I’m so depressed with the disappointment of my beloved Southampton FC When I first took my son to his first Saints game he wanted to support Chelsea or Manchester Utd because they were always winning trophies and on the TV for cup finals every season ... one of proudest achievements as a farther was to teach my son it’s not about supporting a team that in your head is the best team it comes from you heart to support your local team through the good times and the bad ... now he’s 25 years old and living in Sydney Australia and our conversations always comes back to why did we have to have Southampton as our local club as I told him as a little boy the good times and the bad ... unfortunately he hasn’t experienced Saints do to much good ... mine was 1976 FA cup final 43 years ago ... Although I did fly home for Saints v Arsenal at Cardiff and to Saints v Manchester Utd both games although were special we lost both of those games . But they are all my son and I have a special memories as Southampton FC fans ... but if I die soon the only regret I will take to my grave is that my son and I never experienced that one special day when it was actually us that won a big cup final or as Leicester fans never dreamt of winning the Premier League ... I would swap anything I owned just to have a team that I could sit down and watch my son experience one magical experience watching Southampton fc win something special ... But I don’t think this will happen in my lifetime now ... that dream has passed for me now at my age and been a passionate Southampton supporter all of my life ... I suggested by emailing the club to snap up Gary Cahill but no they didn’t ... Ow I have planned for my funeral and asked for everyone to wear football shirts to the funeral and when being carried in to the crematorium to have ‘’Oh When the Saints go matching in ‘ being played in a already paid red and white striped coffin and for my family to scatter a handful of my ashes at St Mary’s ground .....so please please please someone at Southampton please try and give me just one wish before I go ... sign the right players so that we can avoid relegation from the best league in the world and let me pass with one little smile on my face please ... PS some of my favourite players that I have seen play at Southampton obviously Matt Le God Alan Shearer ... Dean Richards ... Mark Wright....Terry Hurlock...Mike Channon ... Kevin Keegan and Peter Shilton .... Good luck Ralph go a kick the boardrooms arse and get the right players in January so that we can be safe from relegation ... I wouldn’t want to take that to heaven with me ....

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