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Here below are all of the players Saints are reportedly chasing to sign this summer. 🔴⚪️
ROMAIN PERRAUD (🇫🇷): Arguably Saints’ top target this summer. After Bertrand’s departure the club is in desperate need of a new left-back and Perraud is the man who is most likely to cover his empty spot. L’Equipe (French newspaper) confirmed yesterday, after not having heard anything regarding Perraud in a while, that a move to Southampton for the 23-year-old is certain to be completed in the beginning of July. That’s great news! Now we just have to wait for the club’s announcement.
NUNO TAVARES (🇵🇹): What a player he is right?! If you watch some videos about him, you’ll notice he’s quick, intelligent and skilful, and I’m sure you’re wondering how Saints could be fighting to secure a deal for him. Well, that’s a question to which I don’t even know the answer to…
Record (Portuguese newspaper) is certain Benfica won’t ask more than £25.8mil for the defender (he can play both left-back and right-back), for issues related to his contract and release clause. Napoli are believed to be leading the race for the 21-year-old, as they are closing in on his signature. Anyways, I don’t believe we can afford to spend that much during this summer, but it could also mean Ings and Vestergaard are close to leaving and we might spend the money we sell them for right away! Who knows… only Semmens!
ANGUS GUNN (🏴): To be honest I was kind of expecting Gunn to leave this summer. Either him or McCarthy. Though I think McCarthy has more experience than Angus and would be a “safer” pick in the Starting XI for our team next season. The 25-year-old goalkeeper made a few appearances during his loan for Stoke City last season. He didn’t have the best time there, despite his incredible assist. We bought Gunn from Man City in 2018, for £13.5mil. We are now selling him to Norwich for an estimated fee of £5.5mil potentially rising up to £10mil following add-on clauses. It’s not a profit but I will take it. Hopefully he will have more game time at Norwich, I can’t see him getting past Forster and McCarthy, at least for the next couple of seasons.
ADAM ARMSTRONG (🏴): This or that? With Ings likely to leave this summer, despite the club doing absolutely everything they can, we may need to sign a striker this summer and Takumi Minamino is said to be off the club’s shortlist. A couple of days ago, Alan Nixon (journalist) reported Blackburn Rovers are demanding £25mil for their striker, who has been on Saints' radar for some time, Adam Armstrong. Well that seems absurd in my opinion! £25mil for a player who has only one year left on his contract? I can understand that he scored 28 goals last season, but still, seems a bit crazy to me… The Daily Mail later insisted that Blackburn’s asking price for the 24-year-old is £8mil. That seems much more believable but rather strange. Let’s take a closer look at this. When Saints bought Ché Adams in 2019, he joined for a fee of £15mil still having three years left on his contract at Birmingham. With this said, and Adam Armstrong’s contract expiring in 2022, the report from the Daily Mail seems far more believable.
AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES (🏴): Yes, again. We’ve been linked with him last summer and now Saints are told to be “at it again”. The central-midfielder has finished a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, where he played 15 matches. Why are Saints linked with him after failing to sign him on loan last season? You see, Maitland-Niles’ contract expires in just 11 days and then he becomes a free agent. I’m sure he would be a good addition to the squad, the only issue would be his wages. Ainsley’s current contract with Arsenal includes an annual salary of £1,820,000 (£35,000 per week). That’s a lot. Other than that I think it would be a top signing this summer.
What are your thoughts on these rumours? Who would you sign?
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