Southampton: Saints keen on Australia and Celtic star Tom Rogic
By Chris Hughes
Reports this morning have suggested that the Saints are very interested in Celtic’s midfielder Tom Rogic.
The Australian international – who will almost certainly be part of his country’s squad in the World Cup this year – has reportedly been scouted by the Saints with a view to a summer move.
Any potential approach from the Saints will logically be delayed until the fate of their season has been defined, with it unclear whether they will drop down to the Championship or do the impossible and survive after such a torrid campaign.
Either way, the Daily Record are reporting that the Saints are very interested in the 25-year-old, having previously expressed their interest in striker Moussa Dembele and midfielder Stuart Armstrong.
Rogic is soon to enter the last year of his contract with no suggestions of an extension being on the table, meaning the Saints could land the playmaker on a cut-price deal.
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The report doesn’t however suggest how much the Scottish champions would be looking for the midfielder, however his current Transfrmarkt value stands at £2.5 million, the highest it has ever been.
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After struggling to make his mark in his first three years in Scotland – which included an unsuccessful loan back to his native country – the 25-year-old has impressed in the last few seasons, scoring double-figures in both of the previous two campaigns before finding the back of the net six times this seasons.
Rogic is an orthodox #10 which is something the Saints desperately need – James Ward-Prowse and Dusan Tadic don’t seem comfortable down the middle and Mario Lemina is much more of a box-to-box player. Rogic would therefore fill a void in the Saints’ roster without much investment.
However on the flip side it could be argued that the Saints need someone of a much higher quality if they’re to remain in the Premier League. Whilst Rogic is a talented and still-young attacker, someone on the same level as the two wingers linked with the Saints – Pione Sisto and Quincy Promes – may make more sense.