Olympique Marseille v PAOK - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - April 7, 2022. Olympique Marseille's Dimitri Payet celebrates scoring their second goal with Pape Gueye.
Southampton are considering a move to sign Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye in January, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Bit-part player
The France-born talent made the move to the Velodrome in 2020, but he has recently fallen out of favour and is fourth in Igor Tudor’s pecking order behind Valentin Rongier, Matteo Guendouzi and Jordan Veretout.
He has played less than 400 minutes in all competitions this season, whereas the other three have all had more than 1,000 minutes of game-time (Transfermarkt).
Despite the 23-year-old still having nearly two years remaining on his contract, two clubs in particular have been alerted to his current situation and are keen on bringing him to the Premier League.
The Latest: Southampton eyeing Gueye
According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), both Southampton and Leeds United are ‘keen’ on a deal for Gueye.
The source claims that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will be looking to ‘take advantage of the existing contacts’, with Saints chiefs already having a connection with Marseille following the transfer of Duje Caleta-Car.
The south coast club would reportedly ‘prefer a loan with a view to buy’ whilst the Ligue 1 outfit want straight cash, but given Marseille’s urgent need for funds, the maestro could be handed over on a ‘silver platter’.
The Verdict: Don’t do it…
Southampton already have plenty of midfield options at their disposal in the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Joe Aribo, Ibrahima Diallo, Stuart Armstrong and Romeo Lavia, so this area of the pitch doesn’t need any further additions.
Should Southampton sign Gueye?
Yes
No
Also, the Senegal international doesn’t contribute enough in the final third of the pitch, having only scored four goals and provided two assists in 92 appearances for Marseille (Transfermarkt).
Whilst he has been dubbed a ‘fantastic’ player by Josh Bunting, the Saints should turn their attention elsewhere as Hasenhuttl looks to bolster his ranks in the winter market.
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