Southampton are in the enviable position of being able to bide their time in the January transfer window and not get drawn into any bidding wars out of desperation due to their lofty league position.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is not the sort of manager to panic, even when the Saints under pressure heading into the winter window last term. Instead, the very sensible loan move for Kyle Walker-Peters was arranged and helped to kick start what was a largely successful 2020 for Southampton. The Austrian has already indicated that there will be few additions made this month.

However, one player with whom the Saints have been linked is Leicester City winger Demarai Gray. The 24-year-old is heading into the final few months of his deal with the Foxes and it has already been reported that he is unlikely to commit to fresh terms if he is offered a new contract at the club with whom he won the Premier League title in 2016.

This month represents the last chance for Leicester to cash in on the winger and Southampton have been joined in their interest by the likes of Benfica, Monaco and Marseille, as claimed by The Sun. However, it has also been reported that the Saints are prepared to wait until the summer to sign him on a free transfer rather than offer money for him now.

Doing that would leave the door open for clubs outside of England to negotiate a pre-contract agreement for Gray this month, which would prevent any potential summer move for him from the Saints. It has now emerged that Marseille have held talks with the winger over a potential pre-contract agreement which would see him head to Ligue 1 at the end of the season, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Southampton must therefore take that as a warning and alter their stance over a potential move for Gray this month. It looks like offering a modest transfer fee to Leicester might be the best chance they have of ensuring they do not miss out on the 24-year-old. Any fee is likely to be cheap given his contract situation, so there shouldn’t be too much reticence within the St Mary’s hierarchy.

Signing him this month would also enable Hasnehutll to have an extra few months with him on the training ground. That could potentially make him ready to establish himself as a crucial player for them straight away next season rather than having to wait a few months for him to adjust to the Austrian’s system.

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Missing out on Gray because they do not want to pay a modest fee for him now would seem like a needless error by the Saints. You can understand the appeal to wait and sign the 24-year-old on a free transfer, but it is likely that someone else like Marseille will duly step in and take that option off the table.

Southampton have a multitude of injuries at the moment, so adding an extra body to the squad would only help them over the next few weeks. Gray is an experienced Premier League performer, so it would not be a risk to throw him into the team should the need arise. Therefore, it makes sense for the Saints to alter their stance and move for this month instead of waiting until the summer when it might be all too late.

Would you agree that Southampton should move for Gray this month rather than waiting until the summer?

Yes

No