Southampton: Saints linked with Mohamed Elyounoussi and Jack Hendry
By Chris Hughes
In reports which have emerged over the last day or so, the Saints have credited with interest in two young players.
After a stuttering start to the season and steady improvement only beginning to show over the past week or so, it’s no surprise to see Southampton linked with bringing in fresh faces in January.
Just yesterday the rumours linking Arsenal winger Theo Walcott to his former club came to light once again – a month after the 28-year-old was originally linked with the club he left 11 years ago.
The two players in question this time though are Jack Hendry and Mohamed Elyounoussi, who currently ply their trade with Dundee and Basel respectively.
The highly-rated Hendry, 22, has improved massively since moving across the border this summer, having previously been on the books at Wigan for two seasons. The ball-playing defender has been dubbed the ‘new John Stones’ by some media outlets.
If Southampton are keen on the young centre-back then they’ll face stiff competition for his signature, with Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Celtic all reportedly interested in the defender. The legitimacy of the rumour remains unclear however, with the Saints already boasting a plethora of centre-halves on their books.
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Meanwhile reports in Switzerland have suggested that Southampton scouts have watched Basel’s star winger Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Despite being only 23, the Norweigan international has been playing – and scoring – on a regular basis for five years now. Having got his break with Sarpsborg the pacey attacker moved on to giants Molde, where he scored 42 goals in 93 appearances.
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Since moving to the Swiss first division he has continued his rich vein of form, with a goal every three league games from either the right or left flank.
His speed and love of skills offer natural comparison to Southampton’s current winger Sofiane Boufal – who is still finding his feet in the Premier League. Therefore there is a case that Elyounoussi wouldn’t offer the Saints anything they don’t already possess. However, despite playing in a ‘lower quality’ league, the Norweigan winger has been regularly delivering since he was 18.
Boufal on the other hand only really had one breakout season before moving from Lille to Southampton.
The report doesn’t state how much Elyounoussi would cost the Saints but Basel only spend a couple of million on him last summer. Therefore, the Saints may be able to drive a trademark bargain and bring him in for around £10 million.