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Adkins hopeful of late business

Image: Nigel Adkins: Expects Saints to engage in some late transfer business

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is expecting the club to be 'very active' in the transfer market before it shuts next week.

Saints boss predicts 'intense' final week of transfer window

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins is expecting the club to be 'very active' in the transfer market before it shuts next week. The South Coast side are back in the Premier League after a seven-year absence and have brought in four new faces so far this summer, including Jay Rodriguez, Steven Davis and Nathaniel Clyne. Saints are hoping to make more additions before the transfer window closes and it is understood they are currently in negotiations with Blackpool and Bologna over wingers Matt Phillips and Gaston Ramirez respectively. The latter transfer has become rather farcical, with claim and counter claim from different parties - something Adkins was keen to stay away from on Thursday. "The way the summer period has gone, we've been linked with several players," he said when asked about the Uruguay international ahead of Southampton's clash with Wigan. "I think it is fair to say if and when somebody signs then we'll announce it. Until then, everything is all speculation. "He said, she said, they said - all that sort of stuff. I think if we can just concentrate on what we're doing with players, obviously this week is going to be a busy week for everybody."

Intense

Asked whether there was any update on Phillips or reported interest in Blackburn's Martin Olsson, Adkins added: "We'll concentrate on the Wigan game. It is going to be an intense week next week, I would have thought. "I'd like to think we are going to be very active in the window because I know how hard people working behind the scenes here at Southampton. "We want to improve and it is fair to say that now the transfer window is coming a bit of closer [to ending], more decisions are made. "I have gone public saying we need to bring in another centre-half, if not two, so we'll see what the week brings." Adkins would not give anything away in terms of the immediacy of any arrivals, smiling and saying "who knows?" when asked whether any would arrive in time for Saturday's clash with his former club Wigan.

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