Ralph Hasenhuttl says Southampton are not simply looking to reduce their squad, but will look to buy players who suit his philosophy.
The Austrian admitted on Thursday his squad is currently too big and must be reduced by sales, with Steven Davis and Manolo Gabbiadini both heavily linked with exits.
Despite the need to offload, Hasenhuttl has not ruled out the possibility of signings - providing players meet the requirements of his philosophy and represent a long-term investment.
"I know there is few interested in him," Hasenhuttl said of Gabbiadini. "The fact is our squad at the moment is too big and we have to sell players and he is one other clubs are interested in. In the next few weeks or days it could happen.
"For my kind of football, for my philosophy, I need more speed, I need more running quality, and therefore we will need new players.
"What we do now is [make] the big squad get a little bit smaller and then we will have a look if we find someone who helps us to move our deficits away.
"We are open-minded and our eyes are open so we know in the winter period it is not so easy to find transfers.
"If we do something it must also be for the future, it doesn't help us if we have a short term we are facing, we have to have a longer-term [plan].
"It should be a player who is not too old but fits perfectly in our philosophy and then it can be possible that we do something."