Rumour Reel: Southampton seeking Gabbiadini as Pelle replacement
Lee Gormley | August 8, 2016
Coral’s rumour reel
The new season is upon us, with the annual curtain raiser the Community Shield having been won by Manchester United at Wembley, meaning Premier League clubs will be hoping to enjoy a quick flurry of transfer activity before the anticipated kick-off next week.
Saints seeking Gabbiadini deal
One such side is Southampton, with the Saints having stepped up their interest in landing Napoli’s Italy international striker Manolo Gabbiadini this summer, after making initial contact with the Serie A outfit over a potential deal.
The south coast club saw former star players Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama depart St Mary’s in this transfer window but managed to add Nathan Redmond and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as promising replacements.
Italy marksman Graziano Pelle also left the club in order to unexpectedly join Chinese side Shandong Luneng, and recently appointed boss Claude Puel is hoping to secure Gabbiadini to fill the void left by their departed forward.
The 24-year-old attacker has boosted his reputation as one of the most promising young strikers to have emerged from Serie A, with Napoli having forked out £12m for his services last year, though he has failed to cement a regular first-team spot and Saints will look to capitalise.
Tottenham close to N’Koudou capture
In the capital, Tottenham are reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Marseille winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, with the 21-year-old’s potential arrival set to see out-of-favour Clinton Njie head in the opposite direction to Ligue 1.
The young Frenchman has long been tipped for a Spurs switch but a the move has been held up for several weeks, though Mauricio Pochettino could soon finally land his transfer target for the upcoming 2016/17 campaign.
N’Koudou enjoyed an encouraging last season on French soil when netting 10 times across 36 appearances in all competitions, though Les Olympiens could only manage a disappointing 13th place finish in the top flight.
Arsenal and Liverpool fight over Lookman
Both Arsenal and Liverpool are set to battle it out for the signing of talented Charlton Athletic forward Ademola Lookman this summer, with the two Premier League sides becoming the front runners for the teenagers signature.
The 18-year-old England Under-21 international is now rated at around £2m by his current employers, a substantial price for such a young Londoner, though the Gunners and Reds are keen to wrap a deal up and willing to splash out on the fee.
Lookman was handed the Football League Championship Apprentice of the Year award for his impressive showings throughout the campaign for the Addicks and could next be swapping the second tier for Premier League this summer.
The talented teenage attacker struck five goals in 24 outings last season, including dispatching the winner for Charlton in a Championship clash against Leeds United in April.
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