Football FanCast reporter Freddie Myers mulls over the days rumours and rumblings

What have the Hammers and Saints got in common? Their academies both produce some of the finest talent around, but always seem to get poached as the big boys swoop in with the cheque book.

While life at the Hammers look settled and hopefully moving players on will be a thing of the past, Southampton are in dire straits financially and it really is a case of being open to the highest bidder.

Life hasn't been easy at St Mary's and if the pain of having Gregorz Rasiak leading your line in recent years isn't bad enough, then it is the undoubted wealth of talent that has been hemorrhaging out of the football club, for far too long I might add. It does make you wonder why investors don't look at Southampton as a viable option, given they have the stadium in place and seemingly an academy, where England's new sensation Theo Walcott and Spurs' welsh wonder have been the latest graduates.

"That's life" as a famous crooner once sung and unfortunately it is something that Southampton fans are going to have to get use to for the time being as life in the Championship is hitting them hard financially. As the parachute money ended, so has been the urgency to sell off their top assets and why Saints bemoan their misfortune at seeing their babes fly out of the nest; it is fair to say that it is going a long way in keeping them afloat.

The latest product of the conveyor belt is 20yr old Adam Lallana, dubbed ‘The Genius' at St Marys and much to Rupert Lowe's horror, it is those North London ‘yobbos' who according to the Daily Mail is keen to secure his services come January.

As you can see from the footage it is clear the lad has bags of ability and I'm sure Spurs won't have any problem coughing up the reported £5m that the Saints have put on his head. There is no question that given the financial climate that Southampton rightfully should get a better return, but when a club has financial woes, then the bigger cheque book always wins.

Southampton head coach Jan Poortvliet said: "Hopefully we will keep Adam because he is a product of our academy. 

"If Adam should leave hopefully it will be to a very good club and then we will have some big money to do something else." 

There is no better club than Tottenham when it comes to giving youngsters a chance to progress, as Bale can prove and I'm sure Adam Lallana will be a welcome addition for most Spurs fans.