Southampton have been given a huge boost ahead of the start of the new campaign as star forward Manolo Gabbiadini is expected to remain at the club. The Italian forward was believed to be homesick last summer but according to reports from Mirror, he now loves it in the Premier League and will go nowhere!
It is believed that the 26-year-old has already snubbed a move to Lazio in order to stay in the English top flight. In fact, his agent Silvio Pagliari has confirmed that his client will remain at South Coast, stating: “Gabbiadini definitely stays at Southampton.
A few requests from Italian clubs came but he feels at the top in the Premier League, also for how football is lived” – he added.
This will be a huge boost for Southampton head coach Mark Hughes as he gears up for a new challenge next season. The Saints have already struggled with their lack of potency throughout last season with the likes of Shane Long finding it difficult to score goals at regular intervals. Thus, the presence of Gabbiadini will surely be beneficial.
Despite his obvious struggles in settling into life in England and the spells of inconsistency over the course of the season, Gabbiadini has transformed into somewhat of a cult hero at Southampton by the looks of it. After being on the fringes of the first team throughout the course of last season, the Italian came off the bench to score the vital second-half winner in the penultimate away game against Swansea. The win saved the Saints from relegation at the expense of their Welsh counterparts.
Gabbiadini initially joined Southampton in January 2017 from Napoli for a fee of £14 million. Since his arrival in England, the former Sampdoria striker has netted nine goals in 39 league appearances. After scoring four goals in eleven outings during his debut campaign, he netted five goals in 28 matches last season, ultimately helping his team to preserve their top-flight status.
And as the teams gear up for the all-new season which starts next month, Gabbiadini is expected to play a crucial role for Southampton. His intelligence coupled with his lethal goalscoring prowess will certainly strengthen their attacking unit and with the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Nathan Redmond playing in behind, the 26-year-old will surely look forward to the new campaign.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not Mark Hughes will be able to bring out the best in the Italian international but one thing is for sure, his presence will be a huge boost as the former Stoke City boss seeks to usher in a new era at Southampton next season.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored