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Southampton: Who is reported target Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa?

By Chris Hughes

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JUNE 25: Andre Zambo of Cameroon is closed down by Kerem Demirbay of Germany during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group B match between Germany and Cameroon at Fisht Olympic Stadium on June 25, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
SOCHI, RUSSIA - JUNE 25: Andre Zambo of Cameroon is closed down by Kerem Demirbay of Germany during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group B match between Germany and Cameroon at Fisht Olympic Stadium on June 25, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /
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In the past day or so Southampton have found themselves linked with another midfielder – but who is Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa?

It’s being reported by the Daily Mirror that the Saints are set to rival Newcastle United for the Cameroonian’s signature in the summer, with the two Premier League sides among the many admirers the midfielder has.

The legitimacy behind the rumour remains to be seen, with the Saints already struggling to rotate their four centre-mids enough. With that being said, Steven Davis is getting less and less time on the pitch meaning there is always room for improvements.

To many though, Anguissa is relatively unknown having only broken onto the scene in the past couple of seasons – however he has risen through the ranks quickly and is now a mainstay in the Marseille line-up.

At just 22 the physical defensive-midfielder has plenty of room to grow as a player, and despite his tender age he has plenty of experience in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League with his side.

This season he has already made nearly 40 appearances and and over the past two years he made just shy of 80 having broke into the first team in the 2015/16 campaign.

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SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 22: Andre Zambo of Cameroon goes past Mathew Leckie of Australia during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group B match between Cameroon and Australia at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2017 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 22: Andre Zambo of Cameroon goes past Mathew Leckie of Australia during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Group B match between Cameroon and Australia at Saint Petersburg Stadium on June 22, 2017 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) /

Whilst an easy and obvious comparison would be to former-Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama, Anguissa is shorter and and more of an all-round player than the Kenyan. Standing at six-foot exactly, his stand-out ability is still his physicality, but he is also comfortable with the ball at his feet as well as drive forward, meaning you could potentially compare him to Mario Lemina.

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However unlike Southampton’s Gabonese international, Anguissa is very much a naturally defensive midfielder, albeit he is given more room to work by playing alongside the defensively-disciplined Luiz Gustavo.

27 games into the Ligue 1 season, the 22-year-old has featured in every one with Marseille very much in the running for Champions League qualification. Rudi Garcia’s side have conceded more goals than those around them, but are only two points behind second-placed Monaco.

On the international side of things, Anguissa has been a senior international for his native Cameroon since last year, when he made his debut in a 1-0 win over Tunisia.

He went on to make just shy of a dozen appearances last year all in all, scoring twice despite having failed to score a senior goal at club level in eight times as many games.

Considering his value and the three years left on his contract, it’s fair to say that if Southampton were interested, they’d be looking at spending at least £10-12 million for his services. For now though, the club will be hoping that they can stay in the Premier League, and worry about their summer spending after that!