According to reports in The Times, Southampton's January business won't be finished even if they complete a club-record deal for Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes, with manager Mauricio Pellegrino also eyeing a new centre-back.
The Premier League strugglers have only signed Monaco striker Guido Carrillo so far during the January transfer window following the £75m departure of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool at the start of the month, and it looks as though Saints could be busy before the close of play on Wednesday – the same night they face a crucial clash at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the top flight.
Wesley Hoedt, Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida have all filled in at the heart of the defence following the departure of Van Dijk, but Pellegrino may feel that they are missing some of the qualities that the Dutchman brought to the role.
While the south coast outfit would ideally be looking to sign someone with Premier League experience, it won't be easy to get a good value for money deal and looking to Ligue 1 and bringing Toulouse defender Christopher Jullien, who was a £10m target for them earlier in 2017 according to The Sun, to St Mary's instead could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Southampton must sign the 24-year-old as the club line up a late January swoop for a centre-back…
His qualities
While Jullien is decent on the ball – he has a passing accuracy of 80.2% in 21 Ligue 1 matches for Toulouse this season according to WhoScored.com, the 24-year-old has shown how strong he can be from a defensive point of view.
The centre-back has won 32 of the 48 tackles he has attempted, made 34 interceptions, 29 blocks and 126 clearances, while his ability in the air is probably the 6ft 5in defender’s biggest strength.
The Frenchman has won 90 of the 115 aerial duels he has faced, and he would certainly be that dominant central defender that Southampton have sometimes been lacking in recent weeks.
Potential
If Southampton did choose to invest in Jullien before the January transfer window slams shut, it would be a signing for the future as well as the present.
At 24 years of age, the Frenchman is the usual profile of a Saints addition as he is still relatively young, as well as having the ability to improve and increase his value if he moved to St Mary's.
The qualities he has and his potential to grow with the club mean that the south coast outfit should bring him to the club before the close of play on Wednesday.
Price tag
Southampton were reportedly eyeing a £10m move for Jullien earlier in 2017, and while he may cost a little more than that now given how well he has been doing for Toulouse, he should certainly be in their price range whereas others like Swansea City's Alfie Mawson wouldn't be.
If Saints could sign a defender so dominant in the air like the Frenchman is for around £15m before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday, they would have to be delighted – especially after selling Van Dijk to Liverpool for £75m.
Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.