Ahead of Kane & Bellingham: Southampton loanee Cameron Archer outscoring England’s elite
Tonda Eckert has revealed recently that Jay Robinson could return to Southampton mid-way through this season.
Robinson is currently exciting fans of his new loan club, AC Monza, with a standout three goal contributions next to his name in Serie A this campaign so far, from only eight outings.
This sparkling form out in Italy led to Eckert being asked the question as to whether he would consider a recall of the 19-year-old when January hits and the German hasn't ruled the potentially of him returning out.
It could well be a smart call to reintroduce the homegrown winger into the first team fold at that stage of the season, with Kuryu Matsuki likely to be called up to the Japan national team for the approaching Asian Cup.
While Robinson could return, Cameron Archer would likely want to see out a full season with Auxerre, as he is in the form of his life right now for Will Still's men.
Archer's inspired Auxerre form
Amazingly, Archer's goalscoring numbers playing out in France mean he trumps the likes of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham in one particular leaderboard.
He has a red-hot six goals next to his name from seven Ligue 1 clashes, meaning he boasts the most goals for an Englishman in Europe's top five leagues so far this season.
Morgan Rogers and Marcus Tavernier are both lagging just behind wth five goals, while Kane and Bellingham fall behind on four strikes for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with the 33-year-old just recieving the prestigious personal honour of the Ballon Dor.
When it comes to this particular ranking, though, he is behind the Auxerre number nine, remarkably, with Archer only needing five more goals for Still and Co. this season to match his entire Saints tally, which is a sub-par 11 seven strikes from 77 matches.
This lacklustre form on the South Coast resulted in him being chucked out on loan, with some Saints supporters left to wonder whether he'd have done a competent job as a back-up, if he had stayed put at St. Mary's.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with the one-time Middlesbrough attacker on his return to England, with this sudden upturn in form perhaps making him an easier sell in the summer, to end his Saints stay once and for all.
What will happen with Archer when he returns?
If he continues to put away the goals for fun for Auxerre, surely Still and Co. will want to snap up Archer for good.
He won't be cheap to pick up permanently, as he once cost Eckert's side a sizeable £15m.
Now, he has proven himself as a potent striker in a top five European league, his value won't be cheap, with the Ligue 1 club weighing up all the costs involved when the season has concluded.
There is an alternative path that Archer's career could take and that is a way back into the Saints first team fold after finding a new lease of life at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps.
If no club wants to pay the price Southampton deem him to be worth, Eckert might well utilise him again, with seven goal contributions under his belt, when lining up under the 33-year-old previously.
Archer won't be thinking too far ahead at the moment, as if he gets too caught up in what the future holds, his purple patch could suddenly dry up.
Auxerre have a tough Ligue 1 tie with Paris FC up next on their fixture schedule, before the interntational break intervenes, as Archer looks to grab another Ligue 1 goal.
Funnily enough, the Saints face West Bromwich Albion next back in the Championship, with the Baggies touted as one possible summer destination for the Walsall-born forward, before Auxerre came calling.
