What Tonda Eckert has said about Adam Armstrong at Southampton as Middlesbrough plot deal | OneFootball

Adam Armstrong's Southampton future is the subject of late January transfer speculation

Tonda Eckert has responded to the transfer speculation surrounding Southampton forward Adam Armstrong amid interest from Wrexham and Middlesbrough.

It was reported earlier this week that the Red Dragons view the 28-year-old as a possible option to bolster their first team squad before the 2 February deadline.

Boro have also been linked with the player, but no official offer has yet been made to the Saints.

Armstrong has been a key figure in the side this season since returning from his loan spell with West Brom in the second half of the previous campaign.

He has contributed 11 goals and four assists from 29 appearances in the Championship, but the Hampshire outfit have struggled for consistent results in their bid to fight for promotion.

Tonda Eckert responds to Adam Armstrong speculation

Eckert has acknowledged there is a lot of noise surrounding the forward’s future as we approach the final days of the January transfer window, but he refused to suggest any sale was on the cards.

He reiterated that his focus is on helping Armstrong get back to his best goal scoring form, having now gone nine games in the league without finding the back of the net.

"There is a lot of noise and I think that is normal in every single window," said Eckert, via the BBC.

"Adam Armstrong is a great player and we are doing everything at the moment to give him the final little bit of touch that every striker needs.

"The positive thing is he gets into some excellent positions, he is an excellent player."

Southampton have endured a difficult return to the Championship, and their recent form has seen them end up seven points adrift of the play-off places, albeit having played a game more than some of their top six rivals.

The Saints are 15th, and have won just one of their last nine fixtures in the second tier, putting pressure on Eckert to get results.

Meanwhile, Wrexham are sixth and Middlesbrough are second, but they only have until 7pm on Monday to complete any remaining transfer business.

Next up for Southampton is a trip to face Stoke City on 31 January in a 12.30pm kick-off.

Southampton cannot afford to sell a proven goal scorer

Armstrong is enduring a bit of a goal drought at the moment, but he has still shown over the years that he knows how to find the back of the net at this level.

While a £15 million fee has been touted, Southampton would still be left with very little time to secure a replacement if he was sold this month.

It’s no surprise that Eckert has focused his response on helping the forward get back to his best, and this indicates that his preference is for the club to keep Armstrong.