Southampton: Saints reportedly targeting Ligue 1 hotshot
By Marc Walker
Southampton have reportedly joined a host of Premier League clubs in the race to sign Nantes striker Emiliano Sala.
According the French news outlet France Football, the Saints have joined Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace in the race for the Argentine’s signature.
However, it appears that Cardiff current favourites to sign him in January after the same report states that the Bluebirds have held talks with Nantes already.
He is expected to be available for a fee of around 15-20m euros and could provide the goals needed to fire one of the interested sides out of relegation trouble.
Saints have already been linked with a host of players with the transfer window and are reportedly also interested in three Bundesliga players after the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl as manager.
Next. Saints announce Danny Rohl as first-team assistant manager. dark
D.U.C on confirme @EmilianoSala1 a touché la cible 👑✔#FCNOM pic.twitter.com/oa0iIH6s86
— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) December 6, 2018
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If they are on the look for goals though, stepping up their efforts to sign Sala could be a good move.
The 28-year-old is on course for his best scoring season to date after netting 13 goals to date.
He has played for a number of clubs in France and has a respectable scoring record over the course of his career.
Starting on-loan in Ligue 2 with FC Chamois Niort, his breakthrough season came in 2013/14 when he netted 18 goals.
This saw him become a regular back at parent club FC Girondins Bordeaux in Ligue 1, but he never really got going in his only full season there that also included a loan move to SM Caen.
Sala then took the decision to move to current club Nantes in 2015 for a fee of around 900k.
This has produced some of his best form to date and he has contributed to 61 goals in 128 games so far after scoring 48 and assisting 13.
Currently sitting in 19th place in the Premier League table is certainly not ideal for Saints and it remains to be seen how active they will be in next month’s window.