Claude Puel is embarking on his first season in English football, having taken over from Ronald Koeman at Southampton in the summer.

The Frenchman has made a good start to life on the South Coast and, despite not winning any of their first four Premier League games, the Saints sit eighth in the table.

This is as a result of a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions, which at one stage included six clean sheets on the trot, with victories over Swansea, West Ham, and Burnley helping propel the Saints up the table.

This run also included their first two Europa League games, with an impressive 3-0 win over Sparta Prague succeeded by a 0-0 draw at Hapoel Be’er Shava. It was a 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last week which ended Southampton’s unbeaten streak.

Nevertheless, Puel’s side have bounced back and picked up a credible draw at league leaders Manchester City last weekend, before progressing to the last eight of the League Cup at the expense of Sunderland on Wednesday.

However, Puel may feel that he needs to strengthen his squad ahead of the second half of the season, especially if his side progress into the Europa League knock-out stage, so here are THREE forwards he may look to sign in January…

Jai Quitongo

Released from the Aberdeen academy in 2015, Jai Quitongo has gone some way to proving those at Pittodrie wrong after an excellent start to life at Morton.

Although he didn’t play too many times last season, the 19-year-old has appeared 17 times this season for the Scottish side, scoring six goals.

Four of these have come in the Scottish League Cup, with Quitongo netting against Kilmarnock, Berwick, Hamilton, and Dundee United to help inspire The Ton to the semi-finals of the competition, although they went down 2-0 to Quitongo’s former employers Aberdeen in the last four on Saturday.

Nevertheless, the youngster’s great form has alerted clubs both Premier League and Championship clubs in England but, given Southampton’s recent record of developing young talent and the fact that Quitongo is out of contract in the summer, Puel should consider a bid for the forward in January.

Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman burst onto the scene last season at Charlton Athletic, although was unable to keep the Addicks in the Championship.

However, the striker still found the net five times in their disastrous campaign, including a brace in a man-of-the-match performance against Bolton Wanderers on December 15.

Lookman, who turned 19 last week, was monitored by a whole host of top-flight sides throughout the summer, but no deal ever materialised.

Having netted three times already this season, it’s likely that interest will be rife once again in January and, as aforementioned regarding Southampton’s youth policy, a move to the South Coast could be the best place for Lookman to continue his progression.

Paul Georges Ntep

A forward out of contract in the summer, Paul Georges Ntep is likely to leave French side Rennes when the window reopens in January.

This has alerted a few Premier League clubs, one of which being Southampton, such has been the 24-year-old’s decent start to life at Rennes.

He has netted 16 Ligue 1 goals in 66 appearances for the French side and, although that is not hugely prolific, he also works well for the team, either as a forward or as a winger.

This has been recognised on the international stage, with two caps for France in 2015, and it seems that his next destination could well be in England.

Ntep is unlikely to sign a new deal at Rennes and, based on Puel’s previous stint in France and knowledge of the leagues, the French forward could be tempted by a move to Southampton.