Southampton selling striker Che Adams would be a "gamble", according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Saints endured the worst possible start to the Premier League season when they were thrashed 4-1 by Tottenham on Saturday and O'Rourke doesn't think they can afford to lose Adams.

What's the latest news involving Adams?

When Adams made the £15m switch from Birmingham back in 2019, he famously said in his first interview as a Saints player that his target was to win the Premier League.

And while that isn't likely to come true any time soon, he has proved a decent signing, scoring 20 goals in 96 top-flight appearances.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

However, Adams' days at Southampton look numbered, with The Athletic reporting that Saints are privately 'willing' to offload him this summer amid interest from Everton.

Ralph Hasenhuttl emphasised those claims by leaving him on the bench for the Spurs defeat, despite having five substitutes available to use, with the Austrian opting to go with Adam Armstrong from the start.

But Armstrong, who has struggled since his move from Blackburn last summer, was hauled off at half-time and with no other strikers on the bench besides Adams, Stuart Armstrong and debutant Joe Aribo were tasked with leading the Saints attack after the break.

But that failed miserably, and with Southampton already looked extremely light up front, O'Rourke reckons that selling Adams, who's proved a decent source of goals in recent years, would be a huge risk from Hasenhuttl.

What did O'Rourke say about Adams?

He told GIVEMESPORT: "It would be a gamble from Southampton if they were to let Adams go. They have signed a striker from France, but he's unproven, so there will be pressure on him to score the goals for Southampton this season. There's big decisions to be made on Adams' future."

Would selling Adams be a risk?

Even with Adams still at the club, Southampton look extremely short up front.

Currently, he's one of three strikers at the club, and one of those is 20-year-old Sekou Mara, who's inexperienced and has never kicked a ball in English football, the other being Armstrong, who's scored just twice in 39 top-flight outings.

Therefore, while Adams would be replaced, it would be a hugely risky move from Hasenhuttl to get rid of arguably his best striker option at the club.

If that does happen and Southampton don't bring in an adequate replacement, they face being dragged into a relegation battle, with the Tottenham defeat an early reminder of the type of struggles they could face this season.