The transfer window is only a few weeks away now, and Southampton boss Claude Puel will already be planning ahead for what could be a busy month.

With the Saints being one of the lowest scoring teams in the Premier League, the Frenchman may look to boost his attacking options, while he could also have a few plugs to fill at the back, too, if rumours are to be believed.

It has been a mixed season for the south coast outfit, who sit in midtable in the Premier League having picked up some impressive results such as the draw at Manchester City.

However, there have also been some disappointing scorelines, too – think the defeats to Hull City and Crystal Palace.

And while they have reached the semi-finals of the EFL Cup – where they will come up against Liverpool over two legs – they were disappointingly knocked out of the Europa League at the group stage last week.

Here are THREE possible signings and THREE potential departures Southampton could see in January…

IN - Ruben Semedo

With captain Jose Fonte and his centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk being heavily linked with moves away from St Mary’s, Southampton will surely be looking at signing their next central defender.

With Fonte approaching his 33rd birthday, the club will already be searching for a long-term replacement for the Euro 2016 winner, and their answer could be another Portuguese player.

Semedo is only 22 but has impressed with his performances at the heart of Sporting Lisbon’s defence and should be near the top of the Saints’ list of targets.

OUT - Jose Fonte

Fonte is Saints' captain and their current longest-serving first-team player having featured for them more than 280 times, but it seems more and more likely that his seven-year spell with the club could come to an end in January.

The Euro 2016 winner was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer, and the fact that he didn't play a single minute of the Europa League campaign has only heightened speculation that he could make the move to Old Trafford in January.

IN - Yunus Malli

Southampton have struggled to score goals this season - they have netted just 14 times in 16 top-flight matches - and with Charlie Austin having notched the majority of their efforts, it's clear the midfielders have not been pulling their weight.

Austin is set to miss three to four months with a shoulder injury and with Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez struggling to fire up top, goals from midfield will be even more important in the coming weeks and Malli, who has hit eights in 22 appearances for Mainz, could be available for a price that would fit into the Saints’ budget.

OUT - Cuco Martina

Following the arrival of Jeremy Pied from Nice in the summer, Cuco Martina was on the verge of linking up with Ronald Koeman again at Everton.

However, after the Frenchman suffered a season-ending injury, and with the extra Europa League matches to think about, the Curacao international stayed put at St Mary's.

With Cedric cementing his place as Puel's first choice right-back and the Saints having been knocked out of Europe, lightening their fixture load, Martina might just be on his way out of the club for certain next month.

IN - Alassane Plea

As we mentioned before, Saints boss Puel would have been considering bringing in a new striker in January anyway before of his side's goalscoring woes, and with Austin set to be out for at least three months because of a shoulder injury, it could be his priority next month.

One player they might target is Alassane Plea, whose goals have helped Puel's former side Nice to the top of the Ligue 1 table.

The forward has netted eleven in 22 matches for the French outfit and would certainly fit the recent mould of addition at the club.

OUT - Jack Stephens

After returning from a loan spell at Coventry City in the summer, Stephens would have hoped that, similarly to the likes of Sam McQueen, and Josh Sims in more recent weeks, he would have been given an opportunity in the first-team under Puel, but it hasn't quite happened.

The young centre-back did play in the EFL Cup win against Sunderland in October - helping the side keep a clean sheet in the process - but it is certainly possible that he could be loaned out during the transfer window to once again play regular football.