Southampton are gearing up for their return to action in the Championship next weekend and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.
What's the latest on Southampton's interest in Joel Piroe?
According to journalist Pete O'Rourke, Southampton are competing with Leicester City and Leeds United for the signing of Swansea City striker Joel Piroe.
As per a report written for Football Insider, O'Rourke revealed that Russell Martin is keen to reunite with his former player at St Mary's this summer, but will need to battle with their fellow newly-relegated clubs who have also taken a shine to the goal machine's talents.
Will Southampton sign Joel Piroe?
Martin will be keen to make a great impression on his new club over the 46-game campaign ahead, using the second tier experience he has gained with Swansea to help the Saints complete their goal of bouncing back to the Premier League as soon as possible.
The former Swans boss has already captured the services of Ryan Manning, with the left-back following the young manager on his new adventure on the south coast, whilst Manchester City academy graduate Shea Charles has joined to bolster the options available in the centre of the pitch, meaning there is still room to significantly improve the attacking threat.
It was reported this month that both Fulham and Crystal Palace are interested in snapping up the services of striker Che Adams, with Saints keen to command £15m to part ways, a player who has struggled to offer the much-needed goal contributions that could've saved the club from relegation.
Over 28 Premier League appearances, the £30k-per-week dud only managed five goals, three assists and missed 11 big chances in front of goal, as well as averaging a shocking 0.5 shots on target per game, an output that must be improved upon if Southampton have any chance of competing comfortably next season.
As a result, the signing of Piroe – who has a reported £15m price tag – could allow Martin to cash in on Adams without the concern about where goal contributions will come from next season, as well as providing him with a Championship proven striker whose strengths he is extremely familiar with.
The Netherlands native – once hailed for his "outrageous" goal-scoring by teammate Matt Grimes – had an outstanding campaign last season, finishing as the fourth top goalscorer in the Championship with 19 goals and two assists over 43 appearances, as well as tallying up 105 shots on goal and a shot accuracy of 59%, according to BBC Sport.
When comparing Piroe's output with Adams and Armstrong last season, the Swansea star comfortably outperformed his positional competitors in a number of attributes including shots on target per 90 (1.38), pass completion (81.5%), successful take-ons (48.8%) and shots per 90 (3.32), as per FBref.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Southampton to acquire Piroe this summer and if they could beat their competitors to his signature, it would provide Martin with a valuable asset and high-quality performer in front of goal.