Southampton Reportedly Eye Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott January Transfers

Southampton are reportedly considering possible moves for Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in the January transfer window. 

According to Jeremy Wilson of the Daily Telegraph, Saints want to take Sturridge on loan until the end of the campaign, with the club keen to do business following the £75 million sale of Virgil van Dijk to the Reds.

It's also been reported by John Cross of the Daily Mirror that the money recouped will be put towards a potential deal for Walcott, with Everton and West Ham United also said to be tracking him. A loan move could also be considered.

Southampton have struggled in front of goal this term, and the team find themselves looking nervously over their shoulder at this point. Mauricio Pellegrino's side are in 14th position in the table, just two points clear of Bournemouth in 18th.

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As such, a new forward has to be a priority for the club in January. And in Sturridge's case, you can see why a move would make sense. Wilson wrote:

"With competition for attacking places especially intense in Gareth Southgate's England squad, Sturridge needs regular football to give himself the best chance of being selected for the World Cup.

"Southampton believe that a loan deal may be most viable and could appeal to all parties, even if it did not form part of the negotiations for Van Dijk."

As noted by The Independent's Jack Pitt-Brooke, despite his obvious natural talent, Sturridge is being surpassed by some of his rivals for a national-team place:

Additionally, the forward will be frustrated at his lack of game time in this campaign and in the previous one.

This season he's made just five Premier League starts, while last term he only began seven top-flight games. While injury issues have played a role in his minutes being so limited, at 28 he'll be keen to get much more football than he is.

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The same goes for Walcott, who has yet to start in the Premier League this season for Arsenal. Like Sturridge, his star has faded in recent years and a place in England's 2018 FIFA World Cup squad in the summer appears to be unlikely.

The former Saints man, 28, has found himself on the fringes at the Emirates Stadium for a while. As noted by Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian, his former team-mate at Arsenal, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, has benefitted from a move away:

Both players have pedigree in the Premier League. The duo will be confident that with regular minutes, the prolific edge they have previously shown will return.

At Southampton, they could be afforded a real chance to do so at the point of a side that's underperforming. And if one arrives and scores the goals to push Saints away from the drop zone, there's an outside chance of them being on the plane to Russia in the summer.