Southampton have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig striker Alexander Sorloth recently, and the Norwegian could be a big upgrade in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s attack.
What’s the word?
Following Danny Ings’ shock move to Aston Villa earlier this month, it appears that Southampton are in a hurry to add a new striker to their squad ahead of their Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday.
The Athletic have claimed that the 25-year-old Sorloth is one of the names they are considering as a replacement for the England international, with Hasenhuttl said to be a fan of the former Crystal Palace man.
Would Sorloth be an upgrade on Southampton’s current options?
Following Ings’ departure, Hasenhuttl is looking desperately low on goalscorers in his current squad, with Che Adams yet to hit double figures in the league since his arrival from Birmingham City.
Whilst Nathan Tella and Michael Obafemi have both impressed in attacking roles in pre-season, neither can be expected to fill the void left by Ings, who hit 34 goals in the previous two Premier League campaigns.
Sorloth has experience in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, where he managed just one goal and one assist in 24 appearances in the Eagles.
However, he enjoyed a sensational run of form when on loan with Trabonzspor in the 2019/20 season, managing 33 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances for the Turkish side, which earned him a move to RB Leipzig.
After one season with the Bundesliga side, in which he managed six goals and three assists in 37 appearances, it seems as if he could be on the move once again this summer, and he could be a big upgrade to the current options available to Hasenhuttl, provided he doesn’t replicate his previous form with Crystal Palace.
The £14.4m-rated forward won a lot of plaudits during his time in Turkey, with his Norway teammate Erling Haaland singing his praises in 2020, dubbing him the “King of the North” on Instagram.
At 6ft 4in, Sorloth would certainly give Hasenhuttl a very different option up front, and would free up the possibility of sending more crosses into the box and more long balls forward, which is something they struggled to do last season when deploying a partnership of Ings and Adams.
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Whilst the 25-year-old might never be a prolific Premier League striker, he could help to increase the output of someone like Adams, so he could be well worth the money if Southampton do bring him to St Mary’s this summer.
And, in other news… Imagine him and JWP: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for Euro 2020 star