Championship boss delivers verdict on Southampton's Ollie Tanner pursuit | OneFootball

Southampton dealt massive blow as Omer Riza believes Ollie Tanner will stay at Cardiff City this season.

Recently, Southampton were reported to be among a number of clubs chasing Cardiff City winger Ollie Tanner. Given that Tanner brings an attacking profile with him, it's no surprise that the Saints are interested in him.

More so, when the club is lacking fit and firing players in the front three. Still, signing Championship players for the Premier League is a big risk in itself.

A prime example of that is Southampton's Adam Armstrong. The Englishman scored for fun in the Championship but has looked a shadow of himself when playing Premier League teams.

Nevertheless, there are exceptions everywhere and Tanner could be one as well.

Still, arriving in the Premier League mid season is a big adaptation challenge than joining in the summer. Further, his Cardiff City boss Omer Riza has revealed that Tanner plans to stay, at least this season.

Championship boss delivers verdict on Southampton's Ollie Tanner pursuit

In his own words, Wales Online quoted Riza: "No. Ollie's a young lad, he's one of ours and he's doing really well. We need him, like we need all the other players in our team, and he's doing well. He's focused on doing his job at Cardiff and that's it, really."

Talking about Tanner's decision, it makes complete sense. Honestly, the 22-year-old needs to improve his effectiveness inside the final third, even further.

On the other hand, Southampton's approach to targeting unproven Championship players comes as really shocking. In the face of relegation, the Saints should consider a few talented Premier League attackers who can hit the ground running, straightaway.

Clubs like Chelsea could help Southampton in this regard. After a good Lesley Ugochukwu loan, the Saints could try to bring a young striker on a loan for the rest of the season.