According to the latest media reports Saints are looking for a striker in the January transfer window and top of their list is a Brazilian striker currently plying his trade in Switzerland, but they will have competition.

The latest media reports suggest that Saints will be in the market for Arthur Cabral a Brazilian who is currently with Basel in Switzerland, but Saints have competition from Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Sevilla and Fiorentina.

Cabral signed for the Swiss club in the summer of last year and this season has been on fire with 13 goals in 13 Swiss Super League appearances plus 4 assists, his record still stands up when you add appearances in the Europa Conference League where he has scored 24 goals in just 23 appearances in total for the season with 8 assists and this has led to big interest from other clubs if you believe the media reports with Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham & Everton also being linked.

This all sounds a bit far fetched and it seems that the media is just picking clubs that could potentially be interested and claiming that they are in the market.

Basel are said to be looking for around double what they paid for the striker last year, and will entertain bids of £13 million upwards for a player who will enter the last year of his contract next summer.

From a Saints point of view they don't need another striker at the moment, but they will be well aware that Armando Broja is only on loan and will be unlikely to sign on a permanent basis having just signed a new deal at Chelsea in the summer, but they may also feel that the Albanian could be available for a second year's loan and may persue that option.

Photo: Action Images

underweststand added 19:01 - Nov 18 Going back to the late 1970's when "foreign players" were first allowed into English football Saints developed a strategy of " buying 'em in pairs ". Starting with Golac and Katalinic we moved on and bought in two Russians then two Equadorians, and later Dutch, Norwegians, Latvians, Spaniards, more than a few Swedes, then Poles, Danes etc. Having signed Lyanco, perhaps it's not such a bad idea to get in another Brazilian (aside from the fact that ...he is BRAZILIAN) and like those who have gone before the settling in process may be somewhat smoother for those who are still struggling with their English. Apart from the fact this fella seems to be a good goal scorer, I'd say it was a no brainer.

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