da casino： Southampton are currently preparing to compete in the Championship for the first time since their promotion-winning 2012/13 campaign under Nigel Adkins.
da bwin： The Saints were relegated from the Premier League last season and have brought in head coach Russell Martin from Swansea in an attempt to bounce back at the first attempt.
Who have Southampton signed this summer?
Shae Charles, from Manchester City, and Ryan Manning, on a free transfer from Swansea, have both been signed to bolster the playing squad but there could be further additions before the window slams shut.
A new centre-forward could be on the agenda as Scotland international Che Adams has been linked with both Crystal Palace and Fulham.
This could leave Martin in need of another number nine and one player who has been linked with a sensational return to St. Mary’s is West Ham United’s Danny Ings.
How many goals did Danny Ings score for Southampton?
The Saints boss could land a big upgrade on Adams by landing a deal for the Hammers marksman, who scored 46 goals in 100 games during his time on the south coast.
It does not state whether the club are looking to sign him on a permanent or temporary basis but the latter seems most likely when you consider his £125k-per-week wages, which is more than current top-earner James Ward-Prowse on £100k-per-week.
A loan swoop for Ings could be a phenomenal deal for Southampton as he is a proven Premier League goalscorer who could dominate the Championship against a lower standard of defenders.
He scored a staggering 34 Premier League goals during his final two seasons with the Saints, which is nine more than Adams has managed in four top-flight campaigns for the club since his move from Birmingham in 2019.
Ings also outperformed the current Saints no.9 last season.
The one-time Liverpool marksman scored eight goals in 15 Premier League starts for Aston Villa and West Ham combined, whilst the Scottish gem found the back of the net five times in 23 starts.
Adams failed to score more than five goals in two of his four top-flight seasons and never managed to hit double figures for goals in that time.
Whereas, the 31-year-old ace has scored at least seven league goals in every term since the start of the 2018/19 campaign and scored 12 or more in two of those, which suggests that he has the ability to offer far more quality at the top end of the pitch than the former Birmingham man.
Ings, who was hailed as a "phenomenal finisher" by former Leeds United attacker Noel Whelan, has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer at the top level, which suggests that he could thrive in the Championship against lesser opposition.
The familiar £9m-rated talisman would also arrive with the potential to hit the ground running due to his previous spell at St. Mary, which means that the talented striker would be in familiar surroundings and alongside former teammates in Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Ward-Prowse, and Nathan Tella, among others.
Therefore, Martin could land a dream upgrade on Adams, if the Scotland international joins Palace or Fulham, by completing a swoop to sign the impressive Ings ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Although, it remains to be seen how realistic a deal is for the proven top-flight scorer as they have to convince him to take a step down.