Two players on loan have been recalled by the Saints this week – could the manager be looking to slot them into his team right away?
Southampton have announced that defender Alfie Jones has returned to the club from his loan spell at St Mirren.
The 21-year-old made 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for the Buddies, scoring two goals in the process.
Saints confirmed the news in a statement on their website, adding that Josh Sims is also back from his loan stint at Reading.
Interestingly, the article said both players now have the task of impressing new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, which could mean they may even get some first-team minutes under their belt.
This week, Southampton legend and new club ambassador Matt Le Tissier told the Daily Echo that the Saints should look into bringing in a centre-back this January.
However, rather than taking to the transfer market – something which Le Tiss said the Austrian isn’t looking to rush into – could Jones be the solution to their current issues at the back?
Le Tissier also said a centre-forward could be sought after, but could Hasenhuttl potentially draft Sims on the wing and give Nathan Redmond a go up front?
With the stakes high for the south coast club in terms of their Premier League status, it looks as though the manager could well be looking to make the most of internal options in order to secure survival without breaking the bank.
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