Club Brugge’s £8 million striker David Okereke was a target for Southampton in summer 2019, his agent has told journalist Fabrizio Romano in his Here We Go podcast.
Is there a more typically Saints signing than an attacker who, at the time and aged 21, was making a name for himself in the second tier of Italian football with Spezia?
Ever since their return to the Premier League almost a decade ago, Southampton have made a habit of unearthing rough diamonds from across Europe. Okereke certainly looks a gem worthy of their collection.
In fact, his searing pace and clinical finishing have even earned him comparisons with Arsenal talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But it was Club Brugge who eventually won the race for his signature last year, paying £8 million to make Okereke their record signing.
“David is a young player (who) now is playing in Bruges and it’s true – he was close to Southampton,” agent Patrick Bastienelli explains.
“He had a marvellous season when he was playing in Italy with Spezia and many clubs from the Premier League (were interested), especially Southampton.”
The South Coast club might have made great strides under Ralph Hasenhuttl, establishing themselves as one of England’s most watchable sides after miserable years under Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes.
But no-one could suggest Okereke’s move to Brugge was a mistake.
With 11 goals in all competitions, the jet-heeled Nigerian fired the Blue & Blacks to domestic glory. He is now part of a team sharing a Champions League group with Lazio, Dortmund and Zenit St Petersburg.
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