According to reports in The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona star Denis Suarez on loan during the January transfer window.
The Telegraph says that while Spurs are expecting to have a quiet month in terms of incomings and outgoings, they are keen on Barca duo Andre Gomes and Suarez, who could be available on loan in order to boost his minutes on the pitch and to aid his development and progress.
The 24-year-old was once on Manchester City's books and he could well attract interest from a number of Premier League sides if he was made available.
Meanwhile, Southampton are only above the top flight relegation zone on goal difference following a poor campaign under Mauricio Pellegrino, and they are likely to look to spend and add some players to their squad this month following the £75m sale of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool.
Having scored just 21 goals in 22 Premier League games boosting his side's attacking options could be the Argentine manager's priority before the window slams shut on January 31, and bringing Suarez to St Mary's could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Southampton must hijack Tottenham's bid to sign the Spaniard…
His ability
Even though he faces a huge battle to get into the Barcelona team because of the quality the La Liga giants have, Suarez has still scored three goals and provided a further six assists – including both in the 2-0 win against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League – in 16 appearances in all competitions this season, with the majority of those outings coming from the substitutes' bench.
WhoScored.com lists his strengths as his passing and his crossing, while he has also successfully completed 13 of the 20 dribbles he has attempted in 12 appearances in the Spanish top flight and in Europe this term.
Of course, you don't play that much for Barcelona unless you have something about you, and bringing him to St Mary's on a temporary basis would be quite a coup.
His versatility
The 24-year-old is a versatile player, and that flexibility could appeal to Mauricio Pellegrino as he looks to boost his side's attacking threat this month.
Suarez has played as a central midfield, central attacking midfielder and as a left winger for Barcelona this season, and he would certainly fit in well to Southampton's preferred 4-2-3-1 system as he could play on the left and in the middle of the three, and perhaps even in the two in a home match where Saints face a tough task to break their opponents down.
Loan deal
According to reports in The Times, even though Virgil van Dijk completed a £75m move to Liverpool at the start of the month, the way the deal has been constructed means that Southampton will only receive £17m initially, cooling any feeling from the fans that they could be set for a spending spree this month.
That figure is likely to limit the amount of money they spend during the January transfer window, and bringing in a player of Suarez's quality on a loan deal until the end of the season could prove to be an attractive option in a volatile market, and in a month where it can be difficult to get good value for money with permanent moves.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.