Southampton will undoubtedly enter the new season full of hope, after hero Ralph Hasenhüttl engineered a truly phenomenal turnaround that saw the Saints maintain a place in the Premier League. Indeed, failing to win any of their last five made the perhaps slightly more arduous than needed but that will not worry the Southampton fans, who look to push back towards the top of the table.
While Hasenhüttl certainly proved an inspired choice, he is no magician, whatever you Saints think! Clearly, he will need investment, or will likely face another hard-fought season battling relegation.
So, who could be on his way in then? Well, according to L’Equipe, Southampton are interested in Bordeaux’s Francois Kamano. The 23-year-old winger impressed vastly last season, chipping in with an impressive 10 league goals and an assist in 36 outings.
A brief glance at the stats make it instantaneously and abundantly clear as to why the Guinean is in demand. Frankly, Southampton lacked goals last season. James Ward-Prouse and Danny Ings topped their Premier League charts with seven goals each which cannot realistically be good enough in terms of long-term planning.
Kamano is known for his direct style and blistering pace, while WhoScored recognise his finishing and long-shots as significant attributes.
Indeed Southampton have both Redmond and Mohamed Elyounoussi competing for places, while Sofiane Boufal looks likely to return after his loan spell at Celta Vigo. Plenty of options, but a real lack of goal threat between them. With that in mind, Kamano certainly seems a sensible option.
The attacker is valued at £13.5m (per TrasferMarkt) and L’Equipe report a ‘satisfactory’ offer would be enough to entice a sale. Sevilla are also reportedly interested, but Kamano could represent a quality player for a reasonable price. They would undoubtedly be adding to their attacking armoury should they complete the signing
Saints fans, what have you heard of this proposed move? Does it excite you? Or is this one that will leave you feeling slightly flat? Comment below!
