Southampton Keen On Ligue 1 Speedster: A Smart Move By Hughes?

According to sources, Southampton FC are keen on the services of Rachid Ghezzal. The AS Monaco star has been linked with a move away from the club this summer after struggling with form in this past season.

Southampton have held a long-term interest in the Algerian attacker and are ready to rekindle their interest in an attempt to strengthen their attacking department.

After starting his career at Lyon, Ghezzal joined AS Monaco last summer for a free transfer. However, since arriving at the club, the 26-year-old has failed to live up to his potential, scoring just two goals in 26 league matches.

Ghezzal’s disappointing performances has seen his stock take a significant downward slope with Transfermarkt.com valuing him at just around £3.60 million.

That being said, the Algerian international still has a cunning reputation of being a dynamic attacker, who can be an asset to any mid-table club across Europe’s top five leagues.

Southampton, on the other hand, are in desperate need of a quality attacker this summer, after having loaned out attacking superstar Sofiane Boufal. The Moroccan was shipped out to Celta Vigo on a season-long deal, leaving Southampton slightly shallow in the attacking department.

Even though the addition of FC Basel superstar Mohamed Elyounoussi will be a huge boost, the Saints still lack necessary drive in the final third. While Elyounoussi is expected to take on the responsibility of providing the creativity, the acquisition of someone like Rachid Ghezzal will further boost their chances of being a much more complete attacking unit.

Furthermore, he can prove to be a good replacement for Dusan Tadic. The Serbian international left the Premier League to join Eredivisie giants Ajax Amsterdam earlier this summer.

As iterated earlier, the 26-year-old is a dynamic winger which is coupled with his sheer pace. In addition, the Algerian international is also advertised as a top class dribbler, making him a complete package in the attacking third.

Aside from his qualities in the attack, Ghezzal also has an adequate amount of experience in top-flight football, having featured in over 110 Ligue 1 matches during his career. But what makes him such an appealing target for Southampton is the fact that he will be available for a cut-price fee, considering his stark deterioration in the past 12 months.

But, it remains to be seen if this highly talented Algerian can manage to redeem himself in arguably the most competitive league in the world, should he make the move Southampton this summer.

Stats Courtesy: Whoscored