Southampton are marching on in the Championship, as Tonda Eckert’s side continue to clear their path on the way to automatic promotion contention under Tonda Eckert this season.

Southampton are in excellent form; with just one league defeat since mid-August, including victories over Millwall, Swansea City, Portsmouth, and West Ham United, the Saints have gone flying up the division.

Only Middlesbrough have collected more points in the second tier than Southampton at this stage, as Eckert looks to ensure the four-point deduction at the start of the campaign doesn’t affect them come May.

Despite flying in the league, Eckert doesn’t quite appear convinced by all of his options just yet, as the January window could be an active one on the South Coast.

Southampton have set their sights on Leeds United striker Lukas Nmecha

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton, alongside Championship rivals Wrexham, have registered an interest in Leeds United striker Lukas Nmecha, with the German forward's contract due to expire next summer.

Nmecha has fallen victim to the incredible form shown by Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Elland Road, and as a result, has been heavily limited in his minutes, more often than not making appearances from the bench.

A new deal at this stage looks doubtful, and though a return to Germany seems like the most likely option at this stage, dropping a division cannot be ruled out, with Southampton seemingly interested in striking a cut-price deal this winter, which would spell bad news for one player in particular.

Southampton’s Lukas Nmecha interest is bad news for Divin Mubama

Since Eckert assumed control of Southampton in November 2025 following the dismissal of Will Still, the German has made a lot of changes across the board, but arguably the most significant one is the sale of Adam Armstrong and subsequent signing of Canadian striker Cyle Larin.

Larin has been in incredible form since arriving at St Mary’s, and has emerged as one of the first names on Eckert’s team sheet, as after turning his loan into a permanent deal in the summer, the German head coach decided to bring in some backup in case of injury and for competition, with Divin Mubama joining on loan from Manchester City.

Mubama, 22, came through the ranks of West Ham United before joining Man City in 2024, and spent last season on loan with Stoke City, scoring five and assisting once in 26 Championship appearances before injury ruled him out for much of the second half of the season.

Now, Mubama finds himself struggling for minutes at St Mary’s, with each of his 11 league games to date coming from the bench, accumulating just over 130 minutes of league football at this stage, as the news of interest in Nmecha certainly won’t be welcomed by the Englishman.

Derby County must reignite Divin Mubama interest this January after Southampton news

With Mubama's current situation at Southampton looking increasingly precarious, a January exit would come as a surprise to nobody, and in the event that Man City decide to recall the striker, Derby County ought to be on alert.

According to Pete O'Rourke via X, the Rams were close to signing the England youth international on loan over the summer, but no deal was ever completed, as John Eustace's side should reignite their interest in Mubama ASAP.

Derby have had an incredibly difficult start to the campaign, but unlike last season, have shown few signs of bouncing back from this poor run of form, as Eustace is currently in a battle to save his job at Pride Park.

If results don't improve sooner rather than later, Eustace's fate will be sealed, but regardless of what happens with the 47-year-old, Derby ought to make a move for Mubama regardless.

With Carlton Morris, Henrik Meister, and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen struggling right now, and with Patrick Agyemang still recovering from a long-term injury, Derby could do with another option up top, as Mubama could be the saviour they need.

Do you think Derby County should make a move for Divin Mubama in January if he were to become available, or should they be looking elsewhere? Share your thoughts below!

Divin Mubama could be a game-changer for Derby County and John Eustace

Although Mubama largely struggled in his loan spell with Stoke, and has yet to be given the opportunity to really prove himself with Southampton, there is every reason to believe he can have a seismic impact in the Championship.

Netting in his first two games for the Potters before scoring a hat-trick against Bristol City, Mubama is clearly capable of hitting the back of the net regularly at this level.

Although Derby are not prolific chance creators, Mubama's ability to hold the ball up and link up play will help the Rams progress up the pitch, and with clever movement, he will surely be able to get on the end of a lot of crosses under Eustace.

If the 47-year-old is still at the helm, Mubama must be a primary target, with the potential to be a real game-changer for the Rams.