Mauricio Pellegrino will be under serious pressure to deliver in coming days as his Southampton side are currently struggling to break out of the bottom-3 of the league. The manager has acknowledged that his side needs an injection of new faces and the Saints are reportedly close to announcing their first signing this month.
Southampton agree Carrillo deal
The January transfer window does not give the clubs too many opportunities to sign quality players but the Saints might have managed to land one of the exciting stars in Europe in Guido Carrillo. According to several reports, Southampton have agreed a deal to sign the 26-year old from AS Monaco for a fee of £19.2m.
This deal is yet to be official but is expected to go through before the deadline day. So what will Carrillo bring to England?
Carrillo and his style of play
A product of the Estudiantes academy in Argentine, Carrillo moved to AS Monaco back in 2015 after a record of 28 goals in 119 appearances in his home country. He has managed 65 Ligue 1 appearances to date, picking up 15 goals, but has fallen down the pecking order this season, making just two starts.
He has 8 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions this season for the French outfit and is a decent player to have in the attack. A centre-forward, who lives on crosses into the box, Carrillo is a physically dominating striker, who loves to make runs that are tough to track in and around the penalty area.
He is smart with his runs and wins headers with ease, and with an able winger or a full-back, he can score consistently even in the biggest leagues in Europe. He is also effective during set-pieces but what makes him exciting is his patience in build-up play.
He is adept at playing as the lone striker and waiting for the right time to pounce. He may not be too quick but is a serious threat in counter-attacks but his ability to shield the ball from defences is what will make him a success in England.
His potential role at Southampton
The Saints are by no means a team that sit back and defend deep but Pellegrino has laid the importance on the defensive stability of his side’s game, which has certainly removed a bit of the flair in attack. But the major reason for Southampton’s struggles in front of goal has been the lack of form of their main strikers.
While Charlie Austin picked up an unfortunate injury while in form, Shane Long has just not been able to impress, leaving the side short on goals. This is where Carrillo might be a game changer for the Saints. At 26, he is an experienced striker and can easily walk into the first team, leading the line for Southampton.
He may take a couple of games to adjust to the needs of his new team but his attributes are perfect for Pellegrino’s style of play and the manager can now see his side play to the striker’s strength. He will trouble the best defences in England but do you think he is the right man for the Saints?