Southampton are interested in on loan Torino star Josip Brekalo, according to a report from Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness).Â
The lowdown: Career so far
Currently on loan in Italy from parent club VfL Wolfsburg, the 23-year-old has so far amassed 192 professional career appearances across spells with Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart prior to his most recent moves.
A fully-fledged Croatia international, Brekalo was a reported target for Everton, Liverpool and several La Liga sides in the summer of 2021.
And, despite Torino having a reported €13million (£11million) option to buy in the loan deal from Wolfsburg, other potential suitors are now in contention to land the winger.
The latest: Saints eyeing ‘sensational twist’
As per Tuttosport, cited by SW, Southampton are believed to be ‘in the lead’ to sign Brekalo should the permanent move to Italy not be triggered.
It’s claimed that the Saints are ‘ready to throw themselves’ into the mix to sign the man capped on 30 occasions by Croatia.
However, the report states that it would take a ‘sensational twist’ were Torino to pass up the opportunity to sign Brekalo, who has been dubbed an ‘exciting talent’ by journalist Josh Bunting following a brace against Fiorentina this season.
The verdict: Star capture
So far this season Brekalo has scored seven times and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating in the process. He is completing 1.3 dribbles, taking 1.4 shots and winning 0.7 fouls on average per game.
When using the FBref comparison tool, the versatile Croatian attacker is keeping some esteemed company in terms of playing style, closely matching the likes of Dmitri Payet and Arsenal duo Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.
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With the futures of Theo Walcott, Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo under scrutiny, for anything close to the apparent current asking price, Ralph Hasenhuttl would welcome Brekalo to the St Mary’s ranks with open arms as the Austrian looks to bolster the ranks ahead of next season.
In other news: Southampton join race to sign ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ player from major European club! Find out more here.
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