The Watford midfielder Southampton could look to sign after Tonda Eckert confirmation
Southampton return to the Championship this weekend without Shea Charles in the heart of their midfield.
Indeed, Charles is now officially a Fulham player, after completing a bumper £30m switch to Craven Cottage, with the Northern Irishman more focused on matters in the elite Premier League than what's going to be taking place on the second tier opening day on Sunday.
The Saints won't be too far off Charles' brand-new home on the opening weekend of the season, funnily enough, as they play against Watford at Vicarage Road, with around 14 miles separating the Cottagers' famous home ground and the Hornets' Championship stadium.
Southampton will be looking to collect a polished win on their travels to Hertfordshire, having not lost on Watford's home soil, remarkably, since 2007, as a Darius Henderson double won the game 3-2 for the home side.
While most of the talk in Tonda Eckert's press conference on Thursday centred on this game at hand, he was also quizzed on whether the Saints would be purchasing a Charles replacement.
As ever, Eckert was very to the point with his answer.
Eckert's transfer confirmation
The German answered a wide array of questions on a humid Thursday afternoon as the excitement begins to build surrounding the Championship season kicking back into gear.
Grilled on topics such as Spygate and when Caspar Jander will be back fit, after he missed Tuesday's opening training session, he was also forthright with his response when questioned if a Charles successor would be entering the building this summer.
Eckert coolly responded to this query by stating: "Yes."
The 33-year-old did not leave much to the imagination with his one-word response, and the South Coast Club have been linked in recent times to a vast assortment of intriguing midfielders, including Rennes' Jordan James.
Away from James' name being uttered, who is wanted by the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well, in the potential Championship promotion fight, there is another possible midfield target that would certainly catch the eye.
Strangely, he could take to the field against Eckert and Co. on Sunday lunchtime for Alessio Dionisi's hosts.
Could Southampton raid their opening day opponents?
The player in question here is Imran Louza, who Watford look to be facing a losing battle to keep at Vicarage Road beyond this summer.
He has been linked with a move to Paris FC, among other clubs, with his name tentatively mentioned, too, as a potential midfield target on the South Coast by the Daily Echo's Dan Hargreaves.
Landing the 27-year-old would be an outrageous buy by the Saints, as they try to get over their Charles agony, as the Morocco international is very much a well-rounded individual centrally, like the departed number 24.
Last season, he collected seven goals and nine assists in the second tier, with many the goals he scored in Championship action being worthy of a goal of the season highlights reel.
Of course, Charles isn't shy when it comes to lighting up a stadium with an unbelievable long range goal. either, with his St. Mary's strike against Oxford United last campaign going down as a sumptuous strike.
Adding in Louza could fill that void, therefore, with the Nantes-born ace also averaging an 88% pass accuracy average per league match last season, and winning 3.9 duels on average, to be both calm and composed on the ball, but fierce in the tackle, like the ex-Manchester City youngster.
When Tom Cleverley was at the Watford helm, he would even go as far as to label Louza as one of the "best midfielders in the league."
To send out a statement to the rest of the Championship, to show they're not permanently bruised by Charles' move to Fulham, the South Coast giants might well attempt to secure the earth-shuddering signature of one of the second tier's finest.
If pulled off, an already ridiculous Southampton camp bursting at the seams with talent would become even more of a force to be reckoned with.
