Buoyed by their impressive Premier League season as-far, Southampton are now believed to have joined the race to sign Napoli’s prolific centre-forward and Italy international Manolo Gabbiadini.
The Calcinate born forward is currently not the first-choice striker at the Stadio San Paolo this season, with Napoli manager Mauricio Sarri opting the field Gabbiadini’s teammates Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne instead.
Despite this, the 25-year-old is still getting decent playing time, making his way on the team sheet in 19 matches across all competitions so far, nine of which have come from the bench. With the player unsettled, however, Gabbiadini isn’t able to channel his usually clinical self and have scored only five goals this season.
In recent months, Napoli supremo Aurelio de Laurentiis has made clear his disappointment of his strikers performances with the Serie A stalwarts this season and is keen to sell the striker.
Premier league side West Bromwich Albion have already sounded out their interest in the player, though it appears they are yet to achieve any concrete progress.
Southampton, for their part, have already made an initial bid for Gabbiadini, according to Sky Sports Italy – Although it is understood that the bid was rejected as it did not meet Napoli’s asking price.
De Laurentiis has reiterated, however, that he is very much willing to accept Southampton’s bid if they up their offer to £18m.
With the hefty money from TV rights deals available to them, Southampton should take a gamble and sign the former Sampdoria hitman. After all, Gabbiadini is a current international with plenty of experience – and at the age of 25-year-old, the player has plenty of time to his his peak.
With the right tactic and man-management, Gabbiadini can be a great asset to any team. During the 2-14-15 season with Sampdoria, Gabbiadini scored nine goals in 17 appearances, before eventually making his move to Napoli.
When Rafa Benitez was still Napoli manager, the forward scored 20 goals in 60 appearances. When Rafa Benitez left, however, the goals suddenly dried up.
A silky runner who finds space on the pitch with ease, the Italian has been crying out for a team built around his attributes.
Now, it is up to Southampton to find the right approach for the striker, help him settle with the club, and unlock the striker’s potential.