According to reports by Russia media outlet soccernews.ru, Southampton are looking unlikely to sign Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes before the January transfer window slams shut.

Soccernews.ru states that not only are Saints unwilling to pay the €35m (£30.7m) asking price for the attacker, but the Dutchman doesn't want to join 'one of the worst clubs in the Premier League' with the south coast outfit currently lying in 18th position following a disappointing campaign under Mauricio Pellegrino.

Unless Southampton are willing to smash their transfer record, or the Netherlands international, who has scored 58 goals in 115 games for Spartak in total, changes his mind, they will be forced to look elsewhere to bring in a new forward before the close of play on Wednesday.

Pellegrino's search may take him to a division he knows well – La Liga, after he managed Alaves last term – and he may well have been impressed with Celta Vigo winger Pione Sisto's displays over the course of the previous 18 months, with the Denmark international currently joint-top of the Spanish top flight's 2017/18 assists table alongside Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

The 23-year-old has been an impressive performer following his move from FC Midtjylland in 2016, and bringing him to St Mary's could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons Southampton must forget Promes and sign Sisto instead…

Goals and assists

As mentioned previously, Sisto is currently joint-top of the assists chart in La Liga this season alongside Lionel Messi, having created nine goals for his Celta Vigo teammates.

Meanwhile, Southampton's top providers are Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and Ryan Bertrand with three apiece in the Premier League so far this term, so it is clear that Sisto can help the struggling south coast outfit from a creative point of view.

In addition, the 23-year-old can also help boost Saints' goal-shy attack as he has also scored four goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish club during the current campaign, while he netted an impressive 31 in 112 games for Midtjylland previously – including two against Manchester United in the Europa League.

Style of play

Much like Promes, Sisto is direct and loves to run at defenders, and he primarily plays from the left wing but can also go on the opposite flank if needed.

The 23-year-old caused chaos for the Republic of Ireland defence over two legs as Denmark ran out 5-1 winners on aggregate in their World Cup play-off tie in November, and according to WhoScored.com the attacker has successfully completed 37 of the 74 dribbles he has attempted in 20 La Liga appearances this season.

His attributes would certainly add some unpredictability to a Southampton frontline that has been the complete opposite of that over the course of the last 18 months.

Price tag

While Promes could cost upwards of £30m if Southampton want to sign him before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday, it is likely that they would be able to pick Sisto up for a smaller fee than that this month.

The 23-year-old has been an impressive performer for Celta Vigo over the course of the last 18 months, but an offer of around £20m could be enough to see Saints get their man, and of course save some money in the process.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.