Southampton: Edouard could be Saints’ next Pelle | OneFootball

Southampton have been linked with a move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard recently and the Frenchman could be the Saints’ next Graziano Pelle should he complete a move to St Mary’s this summer.

What’s the word?

Following Danny Ings’ surprise move to Aston Villa earlier this month, Southampton have unsurprisingly been linked with a whole host of strikers.

The Athletic have claimed that Alexander Sorloth, Tammy Abraham, Adam Armstrong and Edouard are all names being considered by the Saints, although the fee involved for the Celtic striker could be a sticking point in any potential deal with the Hoops.

Southampton have enjoyed a lot of success in signing players from Celtic in the past, with Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong and Victor Wanyama notable examples, so perhaps they could turn to the Scottish side once again as they look to replace the talismanic Ings.

Southampton’s next Pelle?

Ralph Hasenhuttl needs someone who is capable of replacing the 35 Premier League goals Ings contributed for Southampton in the last two seasons, and if Edouard could replicate his form from Scotland in England, then he could be the ideal replacement.

The 23-year-old has managed an impressive 84 goals and 38 assists in 174 appearances for Celtic in his career thus far and is widely expected to leave Celtic Park this summer, so could be a stellar addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

It was suggested by Ally McCoist last year that Thierry Henry is a big fan of Edouard and feels he has what it takes to reach the top and given his huge success in the Premier League with Arsenal in the past, Southampton should perhaps take his praise seriously and bring the Celtic man to St Mary’s.

If he were to join, Edouard could perform a similar role to Pelle, who contributed 30 goals and 10 assists in 80 appearances for Southampton between 2014 and 2016.

Since his departure, Southampton have lacked a natural target man, with Hasenhuttl seemingly preferring smaller, more agile strikers in his 4-2-2-2 system.

However, now that Ings has left, it gives the Austrian manager the opportunity to re-think his attack ahead of the new season, and Edouard could provide a very different option to the attacking players currently in Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should definitely consider a move for the £15.3m-rated forward this summer.

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