However, it’s Palace who are pushing hardest at the moment, with The Sun revealing they have made an offer for the attacker, which would result in a big salary rise for the ex-Birmingham City man.

“Crystal Palace are set to make an opening £10million offer to Southampton for striker Che Adams.

“Roy Hodgson has assembled a young and exciting squad after rescuing the Eagles from relegation last season. But, with Jean-Phillipe Mateta set for the exit, he wants to add an experienced front man to his squad. Adams fit the bill.

“And he is keen to return to the Premier League, where Palace would offer double his wages to around £60,000 a week. Saints will not sell unless they have signed a replacement first.”

Will Southampton sell Che Adams?

The update indicates the club wants a new striker signed before they sell Adams, and that makes sense, because Russell Martin isn’t stacked with number nine options at the moment.

Even though Adams hasn’t started the two league games so far, he has come off the bench to score in both games, so his quality at this level is clear to see. You would imagine if he was certain to stay, Martin would have him in the XI and Adams would be a key player for their promotion push.

Therefore, it’s going to take a decent offer to prise him away, but with Adams’ contract expiring in 12 months time, this is their last chance to get a proper fee for the player.

It seems highly unlikely that Adams will agree fresh terms at St. Mary’s Stadium, which means a departure seems inevitable this summer, but it’s about getting the best fee possible for the Championship side.

Southampton summer transfer plans

Following on from that, there’s a lot of activity that’s going to take place involving Southampton over the next few weeks.

Along with Adams, there are several more high-profile departures on the cards, notably James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia, and they will bring in some serious money to the Championship side.

That should give Martin some freedom in the market, although he will need to replace the duo, so a few midfielders will be a priority, and a replacement for Adams is required as well.

So, the Southampton XI could look a lot different come September 1, but the early signs are positive in that Martin is capable of getting his message across to the players, and he will expect to build a team that can push for promotion.

Saints are back in action at Plymouth next weekend.