Cameron Archer situation will alert Southampton & Middlesbrough

Following the signings of Cyle Larin permanently and Divin Mubama on loan, Archer's place in the pecking order for Eckert dropped further. He was not a regular under Still, but seemingly made enough of an impression for Auxerre to bring him in.

Still took over the French outfit in the summer, having been in charge of Archer at Southampton from August to November of last year. They finished 15th and narrowly avoided relegation but are currently 13th after three wins and a draw in their nine league games.

Their games have involved plenty of goals, though. Only Stade Rennais (39) have had more goals at either end than Auxerre so far. Not only that, but Archer has been their most prolific player.

No one has more open play goals in the division than Archer, with Esteban Lepaul and Lassine Sinayoko the only players with more goals than the division's third-highest scorer. He has six of his team's 13 league goals.

In fact, as per Saints Extra on X (formerly Twitter), Archer is the highest-scoring Englishman in the top five leagues, above the likes of Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers, as well as Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane.

His six Ligue 1 goals in seven games is as many goals as he has in 74 Premier League appearances, albeit his seven in 20 games for Preston and 11 in 23 for Middlesbrough highlight how prolific he can be in the Championship.

Cameron Archer can be a prolific striker under the right conditions

Archer's struggles in the Premier League have been well documented for both Sheffield United and Southampton, but his performances in Ligue 1 with Auxerre suggest there is still a very capable striker somewhere in there.

The difference may come down to more than simply the overall standard of competition. French top-flight football can offer forwards slightly more time and space, while the physical demands and relentless intensity of English football can make life particularly difficult for a centre-forward who thrives on movement.

He is a poacher that finds pockets of space, but Archer can operate as a natural number nine in France. That means getting into goalscoring positions and playing on the shoulder of defenders, rather than being drawn into the physical battles that have often restricted him in England outside of his time under Carrick with Middlesbrough.

In English football, he can be a striker but more so in a two and not as a lone centre-forward. There is also a familiarity factor in France, with former Southampton boss Still trusting his ability and giving him a regular starting role. The Saints will surely regret not getting more from him but will be delighted that his stock is on the rise thanks to his exploits thus far.

How Middlesbrough and Southampton fans reacted to the latest on Cameron Archer on social media

A number of Southampton and Middlesbrough fans noticed the post, with social media responses from Boro fans proving to be particularly obvious given the other names on the list that represented them under Carrick in the Championship.

One Middlesbrough supporter had the same reaction, stating: "Top 3 all Boro❤️"

Another Saints supporter replied: "He was still **** at Southampton so it matters not what he’s doing elsewhere. Some players just don’t fit."

A final response from a Southampton fan said: "Treat to see Cameron and Jay doing so well. Living up to their potential. All the better for our squad when we're in the Prem next season."