Speaking on Episode 106 of The Total Saints Podcast (Sunday, 11:35pm), American-based Southampton fan Alex Hart has suggested Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure as an ideal addition for the south coast outfit.

What did he say?

Well, Hart was speaking about the future of captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the need for a slightly different profile of central midfielder in the squad, with the Frenchman picked out as someone who would potentially add a new dimension in the centre of the pitch.

He said: (37:05): "I think again maybe if you can bring in another athletic, ball-playing competing centre mid, I think that would be interesting to put along with James Ward-Prowse. Someone along the lines of, you know, maybe a [Abdoulaye] Doucoure, or someone like that. Someone who's a bit more rangy because I love how much space and how hard JWP works, but he might also be somewhat physically limited."

Is he right?

He certainly is.

Hojbjerg and James Ward-Prowse have looked good at times in the middle of the park, but neither really has that physical, box-to-box ability or be able to arrive late into the penalty area to get on the score-sheet – neither do back-ups Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone, for that matter.

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The former, for example, has no goals this season and five in 129 appearances altogether for Southampton, while Doucoure has 17 in 132 for the Hornets.

It isn't an amazing record but it shows that he would be a larger goal threat than the Dane if he ended up arriving at St Mary's.

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Indeed, the now 27-year-old was reportedly rated at £50m when Paris Saint-Germain showed an interest in signing him during the 2019 January transfer window, with the suggestion that he would only leave Vicarage Road for one of the top-six clubs.

Those are two major obstacles for Saints then if they did want the 6 foot colossus when the next transfer window opens.

In other Southampton news, Daily Echo journalist Dan Sheldon has claimed that one key Saints man is "quite keen to sign a new deal"...