Southampton have been given a relaxed Championship claim on the Jesurun Rak-Sakyi deal but in any scenario, they must be quick to either pounce upon or pass away the chance.
Around a month ago, Southampton's transfer gaze landed on Crystal Palace's prized asset Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Now, the 22-year-old is obviously an inconsistent presence in front of goal but banking on young shoulders has mostly paid off well for the Saints.
Consequently, the thought of the wide attacker progressing by leaps and bounds at St. Mary's can't be downplayed anytime soon. And the opportunity cost might also be next to nothing here, as the Saints can try negotiating a loan deal for him to then make a long-term transfer judgement in the future.
But provided Southampton's primary focus is on the defence, it's reasonable to think whether they will have this opportunity by the time they move on to their forward shopping. Now, the Saints need to keep up with the regular updates on Rak-Sakyi but at least they are assured their Championship status won't play a deal-breaker.
As quoted by EFL analysis, journalist Graeme Bailey suggested: "Obviously Sheffield United have stayed down and they had him last season, but I think there's going to be a lot of options for him in the Championship."
Southampton should have alternative options ready along with Rak-Sakyi
Evidently, Southampton won't be Rak-Sakyi's first choice if the deal eventually boils down to the jet-heeled playmaker, and that's absolutely fine. Simultaneously, the Saints should also monitor a few more young wingers with the same profile and then handpick the best alternative.
So, what if Rak-Sakyi nods to Southampton's project, assuming the two clubs come to the negotiation table? Honestly, nothing can be predicted currently but it will certainly be another attacking duo reunion over the summer involving Ben Brereton Diaz.
Earlier, Cameron Archer was the one showing glimpses of his talent while the Chilean international let his career stagnate at St. Mary's. Hence, every Saints fan will want both him and Rak-Sakyi to hit the ground running from the beginning, should they cross paths again at Southampton.
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