Southampton now looking to land bargain deal to sign “great” contract rebel
Gearing up for the top-flight, Southampton are now reportedly looking to land a Premier League ace who is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at his current club this summer.
The Saints have already got their summer business underway with the arrival of Adam Lallana. The former Liverpool man has completed a return to St Mary’s 10 years after the decision to swap his boyhood club for Anfield. Returning at the end of his career, he will hope that his veteran-like experience rubs off on Southampton as soon as pre-season and leads Russell Martin’s side to Premier League safety at the first time of asking.
Speaking to the club’s official website after putting pen to paper, Lallana said: “When I started speaking to Russell and understood there was a little bit of interest, it was something I knew straightaway felt right in my head and in my heart that it was something I needed to pursue, and it came through in the end.
“I’m extremely happy to come back to where it all started. Although it sounds like a bit of a fairy tale, in my head there’s still a job to do and I’m really confident I’ve still got a lot to give to this football club.”
The Premier League incomings seem unlikely to end there, however. According to Jack Rosser of The Sun, Southampton are now looking to land a deal to sign Bobby Decordova-Reid following his failed contract talks with Fulham. As things stand, the winger is set to become a free agent at the end of June, allowing the likes of Southampton to swoop in and land a free deal for Martin’s side and his side this summer.
“Great” Decordova-Reid can replace Adams
Amid all of the promotion celebrations remained Southampton’s Che Adams problem, which looks unlikely to reach a resolution. In identical fashion to Decordova-Reid, Adams is set to leave St Mary’s as a free agent at the end of the month following failed contract talks and as the Scot departs, the Fulham man represents an ideal alternative option for Martin.
Southampton striker Che Adams
Whilst Decordova-Reid isn’t the goalscorer that Adams is, his ability to play on the right-hand side as well as in attacking and central midfield would hand Martin a different type of replacement to call on next season. Meanwhile, what the Fulham man would directly replace is Adams’ invaluable Premier League experience.
Praised by Marco Silva after netting the winning goal in a 1-0 FA Cup win over Rotherham last season, the Fulham boss told Sky Sports: “He deserves it because he’s a top professional, he’s a vocal guy and one of the great examples we have at the club in terms of focus, able to play in any position and he’s always there. He deserves all the credit and he deserves these good moments and good weeks.
“It’s important for us and him because he needs these type of moments to lift his confidence and he needs the confidence to keep going in the direction we want him to be. Bobby has the capacity to score and tonight it was a great strike from him.”
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