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Report: Southampton already in talks with Barcelona over Paco Alcacer

Mauricio Pellegrino, Manager of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Watford at St Mary's Stadium on September 9, 20...
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Southampton are trying to bolster their striker ranks and have already made contact with Barcelona over Paco Alcacer.

Paco Alcacer of FC Barcelona misses a penalty shot during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Chapecoense at Camp Nou stadium on August 7, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

According to a report from the Daily Mirror, Southampton have already reached out to Barcelona and have held talks with the Catalan giants over a potential January move for Paco Alcacer, but do face competition for his signature.

The 24-year-old has endured a fairly frustrating time at the Nou Camp, struggling to hold down a place in the team since he arrived from Valencia, and it appears that he may now be on his way out of the club in January.

Paco Alcacer of FC Barcelona reacts during the La Liga match between Deportivo Alaves and Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on August 26, 2017 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

The Mirror reports that the Saints have already held talks with Barca about a potential move for the forward, but Alcacer is yet to be convinced that a switch to St Mary’s is the best decision for him.

The Mirror adds that Lille are also keen on the Spain international, with the Ligue 1 side languishing towards the bottom of the table and desperately struggling for goals – they have scored six in their opening eight league games.

Mauricio Pellegrino, Manager of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton and Watford at St Mary's Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Southampton, England.

Southampton’s league position in the Premier League is better, but they share a similar problem to Lille, with just seven goals coming in the league so far this season.

With Mauricio Pellegrino’s side facing the same issues that the Saints had under his predecessor Claude Puel last season, there can surely be no doubt that not bolstering their attacking ranks during the January window would be a huge mistake.

Signing someone of Alcacer’s quality – if they manage to alleviate his reported concerns – will send out a fantastic statement regarding Southampton’s intent.

And if they miss out on the chance in January, and fail to add another goalscorer altogether, then they are surely in danger of leaving themselves with an even greater uphill battle when they go after marquee deals in future.