Rumour Mill - Bridge, Etherington, Fyfe, Kanchelskis

''I have had a few feelers out anyway but there is not much time left to act. It's evident we need more attackers.''

Frankly, this sounds a little desperate. If it's only becoming evident that we need some width and attacking options, then we'll not be able to bring in someone in on time. Especially considering Saints budget.

Ironically, Matthew Piper would have been the ideal solution on the right, but Saints weren't willing to raise their horizons to accommodate him.

Another excellent addition would be Matthew Etherington. He would provide the same kind of attacking wide play that Piper would have given us. Etherington knows he'll be back on the bench as soon as Ziege returns from injury, so it's the ideal time for Saints to put a bid in. Etherington is reportedly available for £2 million. Saints could even offset this cost as they are still owed £4 million from the sale of Dean Richards.

Despite all the talk of bringing in super stars, Spurs need some money to finance any kind of deal, so Etherington is a player we could definitely get.

At least the goalkeeping issue is now settled with the arrival of Niemi on Tuesday. I have to feel a little sorry for Paul Jones who I feel has received plenty of unfair criticism over the last couple of seasons. However Niemi's arrival finally gives the Welsh international some real competition.

Neil Moss is already attracting interest from Luton with a fee of £500 000 expected. It's unlikely that Luton will be prepared for that kind of investment and a compromise may yet be reached.

The big link of the week is the reported £7 million bid for Wayne Bridge.

Apparently Saints are holding out for £9 million. While every player has his price, I really can't see Saints letting Bridge go at this stage.

The player is happy a the club and is on a nice long contract. The club don't need to sell him at this stage in his contract. The only reason a move would go ahead is if Bridge wants the move.Of course, any sale would have a very negative impact on the fans. Bridge is rightly seen as one of our star players, and is a local lad to boot.

As Saints start the season slowly, the fans need something positive to focus on and the departure of Bridge will hardly inspire them to keep going through the turnstiles.

Getting rid of your best players a week before a transfer deadline kicks in is just madness. Fortunately, the people in charge at the club know this and there won't be a sale.

In other news, Saints have had Ian Fyfe, a 20 year old from Adelaide City on trial for a week, Fyfe will now go to Leeds to see if he can pick up a deal in England.With the arrival of Niemi, the futures of Jones, Moss, Bevan and Blayney all look threatened. Saints simply have too many 'keepers on their books.

Finally, Andrei Kanchelskis is still training with the club. Andrei has made a very positive impact on the training by all accounts. Although well past his best, the skills he has picked up playing for the best clubs in Britain will only improve the players around him. The only link regarding him is to a non league club. Don't be too surprised if Andrei end up with us for the season if Strachan fails to bring in anyone else.