Rumour Reel: Gabbiadini to Southampton, West Ham in striker search?

Coral’s Rumour Reel

With the January transfer window wide open, Manolo Gabbiadini to Southampton gossip and West Ham United’s striker search are both stepping up a notch.

Read all about such scintillating speculation in more detail below in the latest edition of the Coral Rumour Reel (for January 5), where we take the best transfer talk from the press and online at home and abroad…

Gabbiadini to Southampton?

Italy forward Gabbiadini is linked with a winter window switch to the Saints, because Napoli have turned to fellow Azzurri call-up Leonardo Pavoletti to plug the gap up front caused by injury to Arkadiusz Milik.

With the Naples outfit splashing a reported €18m on purchasing Pavoletti from Genoa, the writing appears to be on the wall for Gabbiadini, who is yet to complete 90 minutes for his current club this term.

Southampton aren’t the only Premier League club thought to be interested in him, however, with Tottenham and Merseyside duo Liverpool and Everton said to be circling.

Claude Puel and the Saints hierarchy are said to have a £17m bid ready to bring 25-year-old Gabbiadini to Southampton, where compatriot Graziano Pelle did so well before leaving for the Chinese Super League this past summer.

Saints striker Charlie Austin has missed the last six matches with a shoulder injury, while fellow forward Jay Rodriguez is again linked with leaving St Mary’s to help revive a stuttering career. It leaves Puel short up front, hence the interest in Gabbiadini.