Saints face stiff competition from Middlesbrough to land Lukas Jutkiewicz.

The Teessiders are understood to be stepping up their attempts to land the Southampton-born striker from Coventry before the emergency loan windows slams shut at 5pm today.

Saints have been keen on the 22-year-old former Mountbatten school pupil who scored against them in the match at the Ricoh Arena earlier this month and who netted again on Wednesday night as the Sky Blues drew 1-1 with Cardiff.

Nigel Adkins made several attempts to bolster his strike force during the summer but without success.

And now, with David Connolly sidelined at least for a couple of weeks, he is looking to ensure his squad have enough cover to last until the January window opens. For full story and more Saints news, don't miss today's Daily Echo.