With Nathan Jones now at the helm, he will surely be keen to bolster his Southampton squad and stamp his mark on a team languishing in the relegation zone.

Although the enforced World Cup break will give him ample time to implement his ideas into the players, for some, there is little that can be done. They are simply not good enough to keep them in the Premier League, as Ralph Hasenhuttl found out the hard way.

Setting fresh eyes on the squad now, Jones could turn to a target who was reportedly linked before even his predecessor was sacked, to give some added steel to his midfield.

Not only this, but should he swoop for Pape Gueye, it would add Champions League experience to a side currently fighting relegation.

As per French publication Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), as reported at the start of the month, the Saints will battle with Leeds United for a January swoop for the 23-year-old.

Having featured across Europe’s elite competition this season, last campaign he made 42 appearances in all competitions which included runs in the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.

An all-action midfielder with a sweet left foot, he is billed as something of a metronome in the midfield, offering stability and a physical presence without being too lopsided in his offensive or defensive contributions.

The Senegalese star boasts an 84% pass accuracy, and with only six career goals and an average of 1.4 tackles per game, it is clear that his key characteristics lie with the latter.

It was noted that he was always destined to succeed, as his former teammate Migouel Alfarela noted: “When I left HAC, he hardly played in the first team but it showed that he had something extra and that he was going to succeed."

Alongside James Ward-Prowse, they could strike a perfect partnership. Indeed, it seems that the two might be able to strike up an understanding that could see them starve their opponents of possession with their stranglehold on the ball.

This something extra has already seen him reach the pinnacle of French football, with qualification and vital experience in the Champions League.

Perhaps the allure of the Premier League could be Gueye’s next challenge, but not before he has hopefully impressed as part of his country’s World Cup campaign. It might well be the ideal signing Jones needs to truly kickstart his reign at St Mary's.