SAINTS have been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest striker Marlon Harewood.

A Sunday tabloid speculated that Saints boss Gordon Strachan is interested in the 22-year-old forward.

Harewood's name was mentioned as a possible transfer target for Saints over a week ago.

Strachan is well known for dipping into the Nationwide League, having done it regularly at Saints and when he was manager of Coventry.

And Saints midfielder David Prutton, a £2.5m signing from Forest in January, is one person who could give Strachan in an-depth report on Harewood.

Harewood signed for Forest as a trainee in 1996 and has bagged 40 league goals in 110 appearances plus 58 as a substitute.

Five of those games came in a short loan spell at Ipswich in 1999.

Harewood fired 21 league goals last season as Forest were beaten in the Division One play-off semi-finals by Sheffield United.

He failed to score in his first seven games in 2002/03 but broke his personal drought with a hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Gillingham.

He then failed to score in his next eight games, but came good after Christmas with 14 goals in the second half of the campaign, including four in a 6-0 demolition of Stoke City.