Southampton are reportedly plotting a January move for Leeds United forward Lukas Nmecha.
The Saints have made a strong start to the Championship campaign under Tonda Eckert having swiftly erased their four-point deduction to sit seventh in the standings, five points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
Eckert himself escaped with a slap on the wrist for the 'spygate' scandal and the German has now been able to focus fully on the job in hand with Southampton seeking a return to the Premier League.
Southampton have been one of the division's leading scorers with 21 goals so far this campaign, but Eckert's squad are light on recognised striking options with only Cyle Larin and Divin Mubama at his disposal and it's an area they will be looking to address in January.
According to TEAMtalk, Southampton are keeping tabs on Nmecha, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Wrexham were credited with an interest in Nmecha during the summer transfer window but no move came to fruition.
It's been rumoured that FC Koln want to bring Nmecha back to Germany and according to Football Insider, Nmecha is open to a return to the Bundesliga next summer.
Nmecha will be carefully considering his next options as his deal ticks down at Elland Road and the German may look for a move away from the Whites with minutes at a premium in the Premier League this season.
The former Manchester City academy product has been utilised off the bench by Daniel Farke having been brought on six of Leeds' seven Premier League fixtures so far, accumulating 91 minutes of action.
Nmecha scored seven goals in 37 appearances in all competitions last season, which included an impressive run in November where he scored in three consecutive fictures against Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Manchester City, but he subsequently fell behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the pecking order.
Whether Nmecha would be willing to consider a drop into the Championship remains to be seen, but his current contractual status means Southampton may be able to lure the striker to St Mary's in January with the promise of Premier League football in the following campaign.
