Vitinha, Southampton, Saints, St Mary's, Premier League
Southampton are reportedly interested in signing Braga striker Vitinha and have watched the player in action.
The Lowdown: Southampton’s struggles in front of goal
So far this season, the Saints have only netted 13 goals across their 15 Premier League games. This has left just four clubs in the division having found the net less often than the south coast club, who have recently appointed Nathan Jones as their new manager.
However, it seems as though Southampton have identified one player who they could sign to possibly help them become a deadlier attacking outfit.
The Latest: Southampton eyeing Vitinha
According to a recent report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Southampton – alongside fellow Premier League sides Brentford and Newcastle United – have their eye on signing the Braga striker, who apparently has a release clause in his contract worth €30m (£26m).
The report adds that the three English clubs have sent scouts to watch the player in action in the Portuguese top flight and in the Europa League.
The Verdict: “Elite” target for Southampton
In 100 appearances for Braga across their youth and senior teams, Vitinha has 36 goals to his name in total, with 24 goals in 60 first-team outings. In 13 league games in the Portuguese top flight this season, the 22-year-old has scored five goals and delivered two assists.
To further highlight his attacking prowess, Vitinha has the joint-highest number of shots on goal (41) and the joint-highest number of shots on target (16) at the club.
This backs up why the attacker was described by journalist Zach Lowy as a “sharpshooter”, who also backed Vitinha to become an “elite” player.
Having earned a rather impressive overall performance rating of 7.2/10 from WhoScored for his league efforts this season, this makes him the highest-rated player at Braga. It would also make him by far the highest-rated player at Southampton by the same metric.
Taking all that into account, if Southampton are able to secure the youngster’s signature, this would surely be a very exciting signing for the club and Jones to make.
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