Southampton failed to agree this signing who would have been another Paul Onuachu
Based on Tonda Eckert's press conference comments before Southampton travel to Watford on the opening day of the Championship, he already has his two main strikers in mind for the season ahead.
Indeed, the German spoke at length about how excited he is to have Divin Mubama at his disposal for the upcoming campaign, with the Manchester City youngster sticking out as a perfect second-in-command option to the more experienced Cyle Larin.
Mubama's arrival does mean that the Saints will have to get rid of some of their reserve attackers, you imagine, with the 33-year-old in love with the blend of youth and experience the 21-year-old, and his Canadian counterpart bring to the forward line.
Away from securing the loan services of the highly rated Premier League starlet, news has also come to light that the second tier promotion chasers have been unsuccessful in tempting this alternative centre-forward to St. Mary's.
Southampton's failed striker pursuit
The Saints have been linked with several strikers this summer, including AFC Bournemouth attacker Daniel Jebbison.
He was on the shopping list of the likes of Birmingham City, alongside the South Coast club, but he has opted to remain put at the Cherries. This doesn't really sting for Eckert and Co, as they moved on to acquiring Mubama's short-term signature.
Alongside the Jebbison move falling to the wayside, other reports from Italy have circulated that Serbian striker, Petar Ratkov, has turned down the chance to leave Lazio this summer for Southampton.
The 6-foot-4 marksman - who has been dubbed the "classic target man" in the past by scout Antonio Mango - has also turned down the advances of Dynamo Moscow in recent weeks, with Ratkov clearly a man in demand.
Despite Ratkov being praised in the past, having scored 22 goals previously for RB Salzburg, it would have been a risky signing if executed, with another Paul Onuachu-style blunder potentially occurring.
He could have been another Onuachu
Remarkably, if the Belgrade-born beast were to stand next to Onuachu, he would be quite small in comparison, with the Saints flop coming in at a imposing 6-foot-7.
Despite cutting such a lofty frame, like Ratkov, the 34-time Nigeria international would never settle on the South Coast, as he became more known for his goal-shy displays than his authority.
Onuachu would only bag a weak four goals from 40 Saints appearances, despite costing a whopping £18m to obtain.
This drop-off in performances would have been sickening for Southampton supporters to stomach, as he arrived to England well-known for being a potent force in-front of goal.
Indeed, he was even labelled as "a complete goal machine" by his ex-club Genk when he hit the 50-goal mark for the Belgian outfit.
Ratkov could have ended up being another Onuachu misfire, as he would have cost a substantial amount, as well, with a £12.8m bid reportedly placed for his services by Dynamo Moscow.
His goalscoring form isn't that impressive, either, as while he does have 47 career goals, he has zero goals for Lazio next to his name, from eight outings.
In the here and now, Eckert and Co. were better off going after Mubama, as if he doesn't live up to his red-hot goalscoring prowess for both City and West Ham United at youth level, at least it is only a short-term deal.
But, you would imagine - with Eckert's arm around his shoulder - he can become another Ross Stewart-style impact player, under the German's tenure, with five Championship goals smashed home for Stoke City last campaign, despite injury difficulties.
It will be intriguing to see if another club wins Ratkov's services, after he waved away interest from the Championship giants, as Southampton make do with both Mubama and Larin, instead, for the second tier season ahead.
