According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United winger Michail Antonio is a summer transfer target for Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, and if the east London club are ready to sell the 28-year-old then Southampton should waste no time in bringing him back to St Mary's for a second spell.

What's the word, then?

Soccer Football - Premier League - Burnley vs West Ham United - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - October 14, 2017   West Ham United's Michail Antonio celebrates scoring their first goal with Marko Arnautovic      Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith    EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Ple

Well, The Mirror says that new Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini will be given any funds from players West Ham sell this summer, before reporting that Antonio is a target for the Eagles.

Whether that suggests they are willing to let him go or not remains to be seen, but they may well be tempted by the right offer for the versatile winger.

Meanwhile, Southampton and vice-chairman Les Reed, who can go from zero to hero among Saints fans if he delivers these three signings, will be looking to add to their squad this summer following a narrow brush with relegation, and having only scored 37 goals in their 38 Premier League matches they are likely to focus on bringing in attacking players – especially goalscoring wingers.

How did Antonio do this season?

It was a tough campaign for the England international as he suffered from three different injury issues, which restricted him to 21 Premier League appearances.

The 28-year-old had been one of his team's biggest goal threats in 2016/17, but he struggled to replicate form last time out with three goals and one assist in those 21 outings.

Antonio certainly showed his versatility by playing in a number of different roles for the Irons however, including both wing-back roles, right-back and centre-forward along with his preferred position on the right wing.

[ad_pod ]

Would he be a good signing for Southampton?

He certainly would be.

Antonio made a big impression during a loan spell with Saints back in the 2009/10 campaign, and he has clearly come on leaps and bounds since then.

The fact that he is strong, quick, direct and strong in the air would certainly mean that he would be an effective player going forward for them, and would cause opposition defenders more problems than the likes of Nathan Redmond, Dusan Tadic and Sofiane Boufal did this term.

While his frequent injury issues would be a slight concern, Southampton are aware that Antonio already knows the club well and would be a good fit for them as they look to avoid being in a relegation battle again next season.