Southampton: Saints remain keen on Ryan Gauld | OneFootball

An update has emerged regarding Southampton’s interest in Farense midfielder Ryan Gauld this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, as transcribed by Hampshire Live, Southampton remain interested in a deal to sign the Scot this summer. The report claims that Saints bosses are looking at the 25-year-old as a potential signing to bolster Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Gauld’s contract with Farense expires next week and the former Sporting attacker could be available for Southampton to sign on a free transfer.

Last year, Farense head coach Sergio Vieira lauded the Scottish midfielder as an intelligent and competitive player. He said: “Ryan’s got quality in his passing and dribbling and he’s now shown he can score goals too.

“He’s aggressive and competitive, despite his smaller size and tactically very intelligent. I feel he’s the complete player and as a person, he’s humble, ambitious and self-determined. He’s been easy to deal with, always listening and ready to improve.”

He won’t cost a penny

Martin Semmens must make sure that he is able to seal a deal for Gauld this summer as it could be a shrewd piece of business by the club. As his contract at Farense is running out next week, Southampton have the chance to sign the midfielder without spending a single penny on transfer fees, which that they can avoid having to splash out on a lavish figure to improve their squad.

For example, if Gauld had a few years left on his contract, then the Portuguese club could have demanded several million pounds to part ways with his services.

In terms of how he fits into Southampton’s team on the pitch, his versatility could be a quality which stands out to Hasenhuttl.

He is capable of playing anywhere across the front line, as demonstrated by his displays in Liga NOS this season, and he is able to play in either attacking midfield position or as one of the two forwards in the Austrian’s setup. His positional flexibility could also allow Hasenhuttl to tweak his tactics in-game, another reason as to why Gauld could be a good signing.

Gauld enjoyed a terrific season with Farense in Portugal. He produced nine goals and seven assists from midfield, which only Danny Ings could better in the Southampton squad for direct goal contributions. This suggests that he could be an upgrade on what the Saints currently have in the attacking midfield positions, which is why Semmens needs to ensure that he is able to win the race for the Scot’s signature ahead of any other interested parties in the coming weeks.

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