Can Southampton win the race for Napoli’s Manolo Gabbiadini?

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The Mirror and The Sun are both reporting that Southampton are preparing a multi-million pound deal to prize Manolo Gabbiadini away from Italian side Napoli.

However, The Saints are likely to face a struggle to secure the signature of the 25-year-old forward who is also attracting the interest of Premier League rivals Everton and Stoke City as well as Bundesliga outfit Wolfsberg. The German club have money to spend having just sold star player Julian Draxler to PSG whilst Ronald Koeman and Mark Hughes are in the market for creative attacking players to boost their hopes of a Europa League push.

Napoli are bracing themselves for a flurry of transfer bids for Gabbiadini during the transfer window but are only willing to sell if they receive an offer in excess of £20,000,000.

What would he bring?

Gabbiadini has formed a reputation in Italy as being a versatile, hard-working player that has a knack of scoring vital goals in key moments of games. The Italian international is competent playing in any number of roles across the forwards line, including as a centre forward, second striker and attacking midfielder, but is known to prefer playing on the right side of a front three where he can cut inside onto his favoured left foot. He is blessed with an abundance of pace and technical ability but also possesses considerable strength and power that enables him to be effective with his back to goal as well as playing on the front foot.

However, goals have started to become a rare commodity for the 25-year-old in recent months. Gabbiadini, who has made six appearances for the Italian national team and scored one goal, has only found the net on three occasions for Napoli so far this campaign. The forward had scored twenty goals in his previous season-and-a-half in Naples, proving that he has the ability to get on the scoresheet on a consistent basis, but has been unable to replicate that form in the second half of 2016.

Is a move likely?

Southampton are certainly in need of a forward player to create and convert goal scoring opportunities. The Saints have lost three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time in three years over the Christmas period and have found goals hard to come by in recent weeks. Claude Puel has also been forced into action after first-choice striker Charlie Austin was ruled out for several months due to a dislocated shoulder, leaving just Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez, only recently returned from a long injury lay-off himself, as Southampton’s only recognised experienced forwards.

Gabbiadini would certainly fit into Puel’s currently system but the 25-year-old would be unproven in English football having never played outside of Italy. However, a more significant worry for The Saints would be trying to fight off the interest of other rival clubs whilst trying to keep any potential price-tag as low as possible.

Verdict

Gabbiadini would certainly provide a different option in Southampton’s forward line and his creativity and versatility could be just what The Saints need to solve their goal scoring conundrum. However, reports suggest that they are preparing a £17,000,000 bid for the Italian striker and, with so much interest from other clubs, it is unlikely that Napoli will be willing to sell for anything below their £20,000,000 valuation. Gabbiadini’s final destination could simply come down to who, out of Southampton, Everton, Stoke City and Wolfsberg, will be willing to spend the most cash.

Verdict: 7/10

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