Southampton are now in the race to sign a “rising star”, who is set to be available for a bargain fee in the summer, according to a report.
Saints face uphill battle to avoid relegation
In truth, there is a very good chance the Saints will be playing Championship football once again next season, having won just two league games all season, with Ivan Juric’s side still sitting bottom of the Premier League table.
Juric is likely to be under even more pressure after the FA Cup exit at the hands of Championship promotion-hopefuls Burnley last weekend, and there are some tricky fixtures on the horizon.
|
Southampton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|
AFC Bournemouth (h) |
February 15th |
|
Brighton (h) |
February 22nd |
|
Chelsea (a) |
February 25th |
|
Liverpool (a) |
March 8th |
|
Wolverhampton Wanderers (h) |
March 15th |
As such, Southampton fans may already be mentally preparing for life in the second tier, but club chiefs are continuing to identify potential targets for the summer, although the calibre of players they are able to bring in will depend on what division they are in.
According to a report from SportBILD, one player the Saints have in mind is Hertha BSC forward Ibrahim Maza, who is a subject of interest for seven Premier League clubs.
AC Milan and FC Porto also made approaches to sign Maza this winter, but Hertha knocked back the offers, having been keen to receive over €20m (£16.7m) for his services.
That asking price is set to drop in the summer, however, as a special clause in the Algerian’s contract means the figure will have to be halved, indicating he could be available for around £8.3m.
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Maza is a “rising star” after excelling in Germany
Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has previously lauded the forward as a “rising star”, and he is enjoying a real breakthrough season in Germany, picking up seven goals and four assists in 24 appearances in all competitions.
The young number 10 has also received praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who likened his deceptive strength to that of Gabriel Carvalho and Ethan Nwaneri.
Although he is yet to prove himself in a major league, with Hertha currently in the Bundesliga II, Maza clearly has a lot of potential, and he could be a fantastic acquisition for the Saints.
The only issue is Southampton will find it very difficult to win the race for the starlet’s signature if they are relegated from the top flight, given the level of interest, although the recent 2-1 win at Ipswich Town gives them a glimmer of hope in the relegation battle.