According to a recent report from Gazzette dello Sport (via Inside Futbol), Manolo Gabbiadini wished he had taken offers to move away from Southampton more seriously during the summer. The striker made the move to St Mary’s back in January 2017 as the Saints sought to improve their forward ranks, and while he made a fine start to life on the South Coast, things have since petered out for the Italy international.

And the 26-year-old has recently suggested that he would have taken offers of a move away from the club more seriously this summer had he known how few and far between his first team chances would be this term, and given his evident frustration, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson should seek to lure the Italian to Selhurst Park in a bid to solve his own glaring issues in the final third of the pitch.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, like Southampton, Palace have been struggling in the attacking third of the pitch for some time now, what with Christian Benteke having been horribly out of form in the last 12 months or so, while Alexander Sorloth has hardly pulled up any trees since his move to the club back in January of this year.

The summer signing of Jordan Ayew is another that hasn’t quite proven dividends just yet with the Eagles still heavily reliant on star man Wilfried Zaha, and with the attacking department clearly in need of some fresh impetus and quality, Southampton’s Gabbiadini could be the man to solve that problem.

The 26-year-old made the move to St Mary’s back in the winter of 2017 given the club’s evident struggles in the final third of the pitch, and he made a quite incredible start to life with the Saints by netting six goals in his first four matches for Claude Puel’s side.

Yes, things did tail off for the Italian after that remarkable start and he has since bagged just five more times for the Saints, but much of that is down to the lack of faith shown in him by managers Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes, what with Gabbiadini starting just 11 times in the Premier League last term, and only once so far this time round.

And this is all despite the 26-year-old netting five goals for the club in the league last season, including coming up with the goods late on in the campaign in securing them a point in a 1-1 draw at Burnley back in February, before netting the goal that kept them up in victory at Swansea City in May - clearly, he produces the goods when it matters most.

And with Palace clearly in need of a player of that ilk, someone who has predatory instincts in the box, has good aerial presence, but also a great work-rate to lead from the front, the Saints striker could well be the man for Hodgson’s team.

And with Gabbiadini clearly frustrated with things at St Mary’s, a January move could well be in the offing, which is why these reports should prompt Hodgson to seek to solve a glaring problem in his Palace squad by luring the Italian to Selhurst Park.

Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!