GRAZIANO Pelle aims to continue his impressive start to international life tonight.

And if he does, that could mean eventually mean bad news for Saints fans.

Pelle was this week linked with Serie A giants Juventus after an impressive start to the 2015/16 season for club and country.

He has already scored 11 goals – nine for Saints and two for Italy - and will be eager to add another against a Belgian side tonight who could well include his former Saints colleague Toby Alderweireld in defence.

In all, Pelle has notched four goals for his country in eight appearances since making his debut at the fairly late age of 29 in October 2014.

It is that sort of scoring rate that has no doubt alerted clubs in his home country.

A few years ago, Pelle’s career had stalled following a series of unsuccessful stints in Italy.

He was nowhere near an international call-up prior to joining Ronald Koeman’s Feyenoord in the summer of 2012.

After scoring 50 Dutch League goals in two seasons, Pelle was one of Koeman’s first signings for Saints two years later.

And it was only then, after a great start to life in the Premier League, that Pelle was handed his senior Italian debut.

Saints fans have had to get used to seeing their club’s crown jewels leave in recent years.

It was surely no coincidence that Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne all left Saints after making their senior England international debuts.

If they had never won a full England cap, would all three still be at St Mary’s?

If they had never mixed with the senior England internationals from Liverpool and Manchester United, would they still be wearing the red and white stripes of Saints?

It is a classic catch-22 situation.

Saints supporters no doubt celebrate their club’s players making an impact in international football, and so they should.

But the flipside of that particular coin is if the players do really well, then bigger – ie, far wealthier – clubs start sniffing around.

The one thing against Pelle winning a big money move back to his home country is his age – he will be 31 next summer.

At that age, how many clubs would be prepared to splash out a huge sum to tempt him to leave Saints?

But if he carries on scoring – for Italy and for Saints – then his star will only continue to rise.

Both on the south coast of England, and in his home country.