Leicester City’s Algerian striker could give Premier League rivals Southampton something they sorely lacked last season.
Southampton may have barely survived last season but in doing so they gave themselves a second chance. It is time to rebuild at the club; something they have not done in a very long time.
Sale after sale of top players has left the Saints squad lacking quite a lot – there is a reason they slipped to 17th, after all – but the relative upside is that there is no desperate bidding war for their top players this summer.
Instead, manager Mark Hughes will be able to look at his squad and add to it, with first priority being a goal-scorer. Southampton created the most chances of any Premier League team outside the top six, yet only five teams scored less than them. No one managed double figures for goals despite all the opportunities and Shane Long’s sole assist is the only time a striker managed to lay on a goal for a teammate.
Unlike other relegation battlers, it is easy to see where Southampton need to improve and the fact that it was draws, not losses, that cost them this season (they had the most in the league) backs that up.
One striker is unlikely to change everything, however, not to mention that relying on one signing to change your fortune is always a risk. The Saints need backup, real options that they can call on to convert chances, and there may be no better option for that than Islam Slimani.
The Algerian international will surely be on the lookout for a new team after being loaned out last season and he has never looked comfortable in Leicester City’s counter-attacking style. Southampton, however, already do the chance-creating bit perfectly well – they just need a finisher.
And the Algerian is exactly that. Leicester, a team who rely on their forward as an out-ball and to fashion his own chances, are not where a pure finisher will succeed but Southampton certainly are. They have had success with Graziano Pelle and Rickie Lambert in the past, similar target-style players to Slimani, and are crying out for someone who is happy to convert.
The 29-year-old bagged 27 in 33 at Sporting, a team who also create chances at will and reap the rewards of a pure finisher. Just ask Bas Dost, who scored 45 consecutive first-time finishes as Slimani’s replacement.
He may not solve everything at once but, for a player who is available and suitable, Slimani would be a fantastic addition to the Southampton squad.
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