Southampton will only entertain offloading Adam Armstrong if Ralph Hasenhuttl succeeds in welcoming a new striker to St Mary's, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
Saints forked out £15million to seal Armstrong's arrival from Championship side Blackburn Rovers last summer, but he failed to hit the heights expected.
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Having scored on his Southampton debut, Armstrong went on to endure a disappointing campaign as he only found the back of the net twice in 28 appearances.
But that has not put Championship clubs off attempting to make a move as, according to The Sun, Watford and Middlesbrough are keen to secure the striker's services on loan.
The report suggests Saints are open to sanctioning a temporary move away from St Mary's, but the 25-year-old - who won the World Cup and European Championships with England at youth level - is reluctant to drop out of the Premier League and that could prove to be a major stumbling block.
Southampton boss Hasenhuttl still has high hopes for Armstrong and, prior to the 2021/22 campaign's climax, revealed he feels 'it is only a question of time before he will be an important part of our team' and the frontman is a 'long-term project'.
Armstrong still has three years remaining on his Saints contract, which is worth £53,000-per-week.
What has Alex Crook said about Armstrong?
Crook understands Southampton would only be willing to allow Armstrong to depart the club if a replacement is drafted in.
As a result, the talkSPORT reporter believes, as things stand, it is likely that the former Newcastle United man will still be on the south coast by the time the new Premier League campaign gets underway.
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Crook told GIVEMESPORT: "Adam Armstrong, I've been told, would only be allowed to go if they get another striker in.
"At the moment, there's no real interest in moving him on."
Would Southampton be making a mistake if they allowed Armstrong to leave?
As things stand, Armstrong, Che Adams and Dan N'Lundulu are the only senior strikers on Southampton's books heading into the upcoming season.
That is because Armando Broja has returned to Chelsea after his season-long loan came to an end and Shane Long's contract is due to expire on Thursday.
It leaves Hasenhuttl - who has been in the hot seat since December 2018 - with very few options and he cannot afford for another frontman to seal an exit, whether that be on a temporary basis or permanently, at this stage.
Despite his struggles last term, Armstrong has got his name on the scoresheet 95 times over the course of his senior club career, so Saints should not give up on their big-money signing yet.