Southampton now interested in 'unpredictable' 65-goal forward at St Mary's | OneFootball

Southampton may consider a transfer swoop for AZ Alkmaar winger Jesper Karlsson, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Saints are currently in need of a wide player, with Nathan Jones looking to bolster his squad to stave off any relegation concerns, so Karlsson could fit the bill for a switch to St Mary’s Stadium in the January transfer window.

Southampton Transfer News – Jesper Karlsson

As per Fabrizio Romano‘s daily briefing with Caught Offside, the Sweden international is expected to leave AZ in 2023, owing to his fantastic form with the Eredivisie club, where it is claimed he has scored 24 goals and registered 19 assists in the past year and a half.

“Many clubs” are said to be monitoring the 24-year-old’s availability for a move which could materialise as soon as the January transfer window, so the Saints may have to fend off interest from elsewhere if they are to win the race for his signature.

According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, AFC Bournemouth and Celta Vigo made attempts to sign the wide player in the summer transfer window, but they were unsuccessful, with his current club demanding a fee in the region of £13m.

What has Jones said about Karlsson?

Jones claims that strengthening out wide is one of Jones’ main aims in his first transfer window as Southampton manager, while he is also full of praise for their potential transfer target, telling GIVEMESPORT: “I like this one a lot, I think he’s inventive, he’s unpredictable, and the Saints do need an attacking wide player, I think it is a key part of their focus at the moment.“

Karlsson’s stats at AZ Alkmaar

The eight-time Sweden international, via Transfermarkt, arrived in the Eredivisie in September 2020, leaving IF Elfsborg of the Allsvenskan to challenge himself at a better level, and he has so far more than delivered for the Dutch side, hence the amount of teams queuing up for his signature.

Last season, the £6.1k-a-week earner, as per Salary Sport, put in a string of impressive performances, registering 15 goals and 13 assists in 34 league appearances, according to Transfermarkt, displaying the multi-faceted nature of his game – in total, he has 65 career goals to his name.

Described as a “tricky winger” with “quick feet” by journalist Josh Bunting, the playmaker is deemed to be the third-best performer at Alkmaar this season, positing an average rating of 7.19 up to this point, as per SofaScore.

As such, Karlsson would be a very good signing for Jones, as he looks to strengthen his squad in January, with his goal contributions potentially able to be a decisive factor in the Saints retaining their Premier League status.