Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino says he wants to bring in two or three players before the start of the season. "We're considering two or three players to bring into the team and have total confidence in keeping our valuable players," he said.

"In the press there are a lot of rumours about top-class players being linked with.

"That shows we're a serious and ambitious club. Unfortunately we don't have space for all the players we've been linked with! "Right now, our main concern is preparing for pre-season. We can't think about seven or eight weeks down the line.

"We have certain positions we want to reinforce. I am confident that our goals will be met. Of the list of 15 to 20 players I've seen linked with us, all are quality players. However, our goals are private.

"My message to the supporters is that we want to bring in players who will improve the squad and to encourage competition."