According to reports in the Daily Mail, Swansea City have made an enquiry to sign out of favour AC Milan striker Andre Silva having been rebuffed in an attempt to bring Atletico Madrid's Kevin Gameiro to the Liberty Stadium.
New Swans boss Carlos Carvalhal is keen to bring in a new centre-forward before the January transfer window slams shut, with his team bottom of the table and four points from safety having only scored 14 goals in 23 Premier League matches this season.
Silva only joined AC Milan in a £32m deal from FC Porto last summer, but while he has impressed during their Europa League campaign he has struggled in Serie A, with French media outlet Le10Sport reporting in December that the 22-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since his move to the San Siro.
Meanwhile, Southampton are another team in danger of dropping into the Championship as they only lie one place and one point above the relegation zone following a disappointing campaign under Mauricio Pellegrino.
The Argentine boss will be desperate to boost his squad before January 31 – especially after losing out to Everton for top target Theo Walcott – and bringing Silva to St Mary's could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Saints must hijack Swansea's bid to sign the Portugal international…
They need a centre-forward
With Charlie Austin absent with a hamstring injury and expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, Southampton are missing a target man in their side with Shane Long and Manolo Gabbiadini struggling to make an impact in that role.
Bringing Andre Silva to St Mary's would certainly go some way to solving that issue as the 6ft 1in striker has proven he can perform well in the centre-forward spot for FC Porto, AC Milan and Portugal, and he looks to be available this month.
Goals
While Silva is yet to score a Serie A goal for AC Milan – although the majority of his 12 appearances have come from the substitutes’ bench – he has netted eight times in 10 Europa League outings.
Having found the net 24 times in 58 games for previous club Porto and with 11 in 18 caps for Portugal, the 22-year-old is decent in the air and has shown that he can score on a regular basis if he is given opportunities.
Southampton need a striker that can score consistently in the absence of Austin, and Silva may fit the bill.
Point to prove
Considering his impressive goal record in the Europa League, Silva will certainly feel hard done by that he has often found himself behind Nikola Kalinic – and sometimes youngster Patrick Cutrone – in the pecking order in Serie A.
If the 22-year-old does move on this month – either on loan or on a permanent basis – he will certainly have a point to prove to AC Milan, and he will want to get on the goal trail before the World Cup this summer.
That is something that could be vital for Southampton as they look to secure their Premier League status this season.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.