Southampton: Stoke looking at permanent deal for £7m Gallagher
By Marc Walker
Stoke City are reportedly eyeing a £7m permanent deal for Southampton striker Sam Gallagher after his recent loan spells in the Championship.
According to the Sun, new Potters manager Gary Rowett has identified Gallagher as a target to add a significant threat to his side’s forward line ahead of their first season back in English football’s second-tier.
It is also believed that this move could help Saints to fund moves for targets of their own, with Liverpool striker Danny Ings also highlighted in the report as a player that Mark Hughes’ side are looking to add to their squad.
Gallagher has been persistently linked with loan moves away to both Sheffield United and Aston Villa during this transfer window, and Stoke are the first side to be mentioned as pursuers of a permanent deal for the 22-year-old.
Spells at Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City in the past two seasons have produced mixed results for him. 12 goals in 47 appearances for Rovers saw him become an important player for them, whilst seven strikes came in 33 games at St Andrews last campaign.
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The £7m fee being quoted in his potential move to the Bet365 stadium would be significant considering his progression through the latter stages of Saints’ academy.
However, it can be argued that including Gallagher in the first-team at St Mary’s for 2018/19 would prove less of a risk than moving for injury plagued Ings.
At around 6ft 3in, he would give a different option to Mark Hughes. Whether his game-time would be worth staying on the South Coast for is another question, and Gallagher’s age means that he will be wanting consistent first-team football.
20 appearances for Saints so far have yielded two goals, and it remains to be seen whether the club see him as a long-term option in the Premier League or whether they think it best if joins another club.
Mark Hughes has also talked about how Saints may need to sell or move players out on loan before they bring in any others themselves.
The signings of Angus Gunn, Jannik Vestergaard, Mohamed Elyounoussi and Stuart Armstrong meant that the club are on course for their biggest net-spend in their history.