Saints are facing a tense transfer deadline day as they try to land a hat-trick of signings.

The on-off deal for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini is still a goer for Saints heading into the final day of the January window, which slams shut at 11pm tonight.

Gabbiadini’s capture, for a fee that would likely total at least £14m plus add-ons, would be the headline capture of the day for Saints, but not their only business with Mouez Hassen and Serdar Tasci expected to complete moves until the end of the season.

Saints are also likely to have to decide on the future of Jay Rodriguez, with a number of clubs considering making an offer for the striker.

Hassen is a 21-year-old keeper to provide cover for Fraser Forster, while Tasci is a German international defender whose contract has just months to run at Spartak Moscow.

All this is set against the backdrop of a Premier League game against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium tonight.

The biggest talking point of the window for Saints is the potential signing of a striker, with Gabbiadini having been identified early on as a target.

However, doing deals is notoriously difficult in January, and for a player of Gabbiadini’s quality it is very tricky.

Napoli are understood to want good value for the 25-year-old, while Saints are keen to avoid paying over the odds.

“For the moment we work on different possibilities,” said Claude Puel when asked about the chance of Gabbiadini joining. “We don’t know if it is possible or not with different players.

“It is not just we didn’t score enough, it’s also a long injury for Charlie Austin since three months.

“With all this is important to consider with different possibilities. It is normal with the market and we will see if we can improve the team or not at the end.

“I prefer for the moment staying focussed about the squad and the players fit at this moment, which is not too much, and we will see what can happen by the end of the market.”

The signing of Tasci, an experienced 29-year-old centre half, will provide valuable cover with Virgil van Dijk ruled out for a number of weeks yet.

Hassen will be second choice to Forster.

With Alex McCarthy sidelined for two more months, and Stuart Taylor overlooked, it was left to 19-year-old Harry Lewis to deputise in the event of anything happening to Forster.

Puel is keen that the youngster doesn’t have that type of pressure and is allowed to continue his development in the background.

“I think it’s important with the injury of McCarthy to see the possibility behind Fraser,” admitted Puel.

“Harry can do good work and play with the under-23s and it’s important he continues his work without the pressure too important.

“If we have since the beginning of the season a problem with Fraser it is too much responsibility for a young goalkeeper.

“It is important to protect him and continue his work because it’s a young goalkeeper.”

There is the added difficulty of trying to do business on a matchday and Puel reckoned: “It is always difficult in January because often it is not the good moment, it is just to see a situation like us with difficulties with injuries and to see a possibility of players to come and to give a solution for the season.

“The window market is not the moment to find a good solution to buy players because it’s always difficult. The good moment is at the end of the season and the summer of course.”

Daily Echo: