Mauricio Pellegrino insists Saints will “keep pushing” to try and sign Quincy Promes before the close of the transfer window.

With the countdown on until the window shuts on Wednesday night, Saints have so far managed one sale and one signing in January.

Virgil van Dijk completed his £75m move to Liverpool, while Saints have broken their club transfer record to bring in Guido Carrillo from Monaco for £19.2m.

If they could land Dutch winger Promes from Spartak Moscow the fee would likely eclipse that which they paid for Carrillo, with talk that it could be in the region of £30m.

Promes is thought to be open to a move to St Mary’s, but there remains much work to do, particularly when it comes to getting Spartak to part with a player they would prefer to keep until the end of their season.

Pellegrino said: “It’s one of the players that has been following in the next few months but the market is too difficult.

“We wait until the end. We keep pushing but we wait.

“I don’t know. I think in this club everybody wants to try to improve our level.

“In the market the negotiation is two sides and you can do your part but if the other side don’t agree it’s not easy.”

Saints will have to make a big decision in the next few days.

They may find themselves either having to pay more than they would like to secure Promes, move on to another target to see if they can get that deal done, or choose to settle with what they have got.

Pellegrino clearly would like another quality addition to his squad, but is adamant there is only any point in signing another player if they are clearly going to improve things as Saints don’t need just more numbers.

“We don’t know,” said Pellegrino when asked if the club would move on to another target if they couldn’t land Promes.

“Obviously we will push for the player that we think is the profile we don’t have and are sure they will improve our squad. It’s not a question of numbers.

“To bring players in to the Premier League is not easy, it’s very tight and other clubs compete in the market.”

Pellegrino handed a late debut to Carrillo in the win over Watford and reckoned: “I think obviously to adapt to the situation and the dynamic of the teammates.

“I thought that at the beginning when Shane was on the ground I think that it was the moment for Manolo but in this moment Guido is a big man who can hold the ball.

“He was maybe a bit lost in some moments but it’s normal. At the beginning it’s not easy to go on with the minutes when it’s up and down all the time.”