Birmingham City’s 22-year-old striker Che Adams had a fantastic 2018-19 season, where he scored a bucketful of goals, and now his superb form could result in a move to the Premier League.
The Daily Star are reporting that Adams is a target of Southampton, who could sign him for a fee of £14 million ahead of the 2019-20 season.
The Saints had lodged a £10 million bid earlier this year in the January transfer window, which was rejected by Birmingham.
The young striker has been chased by several clubs, including the likes of Burnley and Sheffield United. Adams still has three years on his current deal, having signed his last contract with the club in 2017.
The English side signed him from Sheffield United in 2016 for a fee rumoured to be about £2 million, after having signed with the Blades from non-league side Ilkeston in 2014. In the 2018-19 season, Adams scored 22 goals in 46 appearances in the Championship, while also registering 5 assists for the club.
Since signing for the club in 2016, Adams has made 123 appearances, scoring 38 times. The striker has not represented the English senior team, but has played for the U20 side twice.
Will Che Adams do well in Hasenhüttl’s system?
Southampton need a proven goalscorer in their team as they struggled to find goals in the 2018-19 season with Nathan Redmond the top scorer in the team with 9 goals in all competitions.
Adams has primarily played as a striker for Birmingham, but has also played out wide on the left and the right, as well as an attacking midfielder. The 22-year-old is quick and powerful, and was been deadly in front of goal, showing great finishing skills.
He is a player who likes to drop deep and into pockets of space, receive the ball, and try to run at the defence or take a shot on goal.
Adams also has good close control and dribbling ability while also possessing good pace to play either off the shoulders of the defenders or drive at defences with the ball.
A strong player, Adams can brush off defenders out wide or in the box to take the ball into the final third. Adams will be a good fit in Hasenhüttl’s system which lays emphasis on pressing and moving the ball quickly to the forwards.
