Southampton are “quickly moving on” from the disappointment of being unable to secure the signature of Braga’s Vitinha and are searching for a new striker target at St. Mary’s, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

Nathan Jones will be keen to add another centre-forward to his ranks as the Saints look to secure Premier League survival this season.

Southampton transfer news – Striker

According to reports, Southampton’s move for Vitinha is now in doubt after Ligue 1 side Marseille joined the Saints in the race for the 22-year-old’s signature.

The striker has a release clause of £26m, which both clubs are willing to pay, and the player is now considering his options following Marseille’s late move, whilst sources in Portugal suggest that the French side have won the race for the number nine.

However, The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell has said that the south coast outfit remain in talks to sign the Portuguese centre-forward, despite stiff competition from across the continent.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has recently told GiveMeSport that Southampton could well sign a striker in the final hours of Deadline Day, though progress will need to be made on an addition sooner rather than later.

And Jones has said that the Saints are working on a new target, following Marseille’s interest in Vitinha.

What has Jones said about Southampton?

Jones told GiveMeSport: “Southampton are working on a new name in their search for a striker. They have been a bit thrown off by the Vitinha disappointment but are quickly moving on. They have to find someone fast.”

Who else could Southampton sign today?

According to L’Équipe (via Get French Football News), Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has chosen to make the switch to Southampton over Everton and will sign for at St. Mary’s for a fee close to £22m.

Meanwhile, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has suggested that Genk striker Paul Onuachu wants to link up with Jones and the south coast club, with the Pro League side valuing the centre-forward at around £16m.

It had also been reported on Monday that the Saints have had a £3m bid for Lyon's Moussa Dembélé accepted by the Ligue 1 side, but nothing of yet has materialised with a deal seeming unlikely following the club’s focus on other targets.

Therefore, it could prove to be a very exciting final few hours of the transfer window for Southampton, with plenty of moves in the works at the time of writing.

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