Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has told Southampton they may well need to splash the cash in the January transfer window if they are to have a chance of surviving in the Premier League under new boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
The Saints have only picked up just nine points from their 16 Premier League games so far this season.
The poor run of form led to Mark Hughes’ departure and he was replaced by former RB Leipzig coach Hasenhuttl.
The Austrian will have the January transfer window to sign players after assessing the squad in the coming weeks, but Lawrenson is already convinced that the Saints will have to spend money to make up for the quality of the players they have sold in the last few years.
“Looking at Southampton's squad, they will have to act in January if they want results to improve significantly”, Lawrenson wrote in his BBC column.
“If they want to stay in this division, they will need to gamble.
“That could mean spending £50-60m but, after all the players they have sold in the past few years, Saints must have the cash.
“The question is, are they prepared to spend it?”
Southampton have a tough clash against Arsenal on Sunday in the Premier League, and the Saints will hope to hand the Gunners their first league defeat since August.
