The Villa striker is very much a wanted man this summer as his future remains uncertain at the Premier League club.
It looked like Archer would be sticking around the first team at Aston Villa but it has been claimed that the Midlands side are now open to selling the forward in this transfer window.
It has been reported that Sheffield United have already seen a bid worth £10 million rejected, while Middlesbrough and Leeds United have also been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old.
However, they all now face fresh competition as Southampton have joined the race for the striker as they look to bolster their options going forward.
Would Cameron Archer be a good signing for Southampton?
As we wait to see how this latest news develops, Football League World writers have shared their thoughts on Southampton’s reported interest in Archer and whether it would be a good move for the player.
Here is what they said…
Brett Worthington
As with any of these sides that are interested in Cameron Archer, he would definitely be a very good signing for Southampton
Archer has shown during his loans at Preston North End and Middlesbrough that he is a striker who is very capable at this level.
It comes as a surprise that he hasn’t been given the time and chance at Aston Villa, but if he doesn’t feature in Unai Emery’s plans, then they seem keen on moving him on for a substantial fee.
Southampton are one of the Championship sides that could probably afford to pay Archer’s asking price, whereas Middlesbrough and even Leeds may struggle to do so.
The £20 million price tag does seem a little steep for a player who has a couple of years in the Championship, but given his scoring rate, he is definitely a player these type of clubs should be looking at.
Southampton are set to lose Che Adams, it seems, so they need a suitable replacement as they can’t just rely on Adam Armstrong for the season.
Archer has shown he can play as a lone striker as well as in a duo, so he has the all-round ability to adapt to Southampton’s team.
Furthermore, he would join a side that is expected to play free-flowing, attacking football, which could highly benefit the player and help him take his game to the next level. So, all in all, this would be an excellent move for the club and the player, whether it be a loan deal or a permanent one.
Cameron Archer would be an exciting replacement for Che Adams were Southampton to win the race for him.
The 21-year-old has been outstanding in both of his loan spells in the Championship. He passed the eye test almost instantly with both Preston North End and Middlesbrough but for those that haven’t seen him, 18 goals and seven assists in 40 appearances should be evidence enough.
It seems Aston Villa’s preference is a sale and Saints would appear to have the funds as their player sales have totalled around £130 million so far this summer – with Kyle Walker-Peters potentially still to be sold.
A loan with an obligation to buy if the South Coast club win promotion this term would seem to make a lot of sense.
With Adams seemingly on his way to Everton, Russell Martin needs a replacement and Archer would be an ideal fit. We saw at Boro that not only is he lethal in front of goal, he links up well with teammates in the final third, which should mean he’s well-suited to Martin’s possession-heavy style.
The issue that the Saints face is the competition, which includes Premier League sides.
