Southampton are stuck in the Premier League relegation zone, and a number of their best players could be on their way to Italy in the event that the club gets relegated.
Southampton might have taken plenty of positives out of their 3-2 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend but, crucially, they returned home pointless.
The Saints have now lost both of the Premier League games since Mark Hughes took charge and are currently mired in the relegation zone, three points adrift of safety with just six fixtures remaining.
And Italian football website Calciomercato has given Southampton fans another reason to worry. Because it seems that dropping down to the Championship could see their squad ripped apart, with a number of Italian clubs aiming to pounce on players who will not want to play in the second tier of English football.
It is understood that £14 million striker Manolo Gabbiadini wants to return to Italy after a difficult second season on the South Coast. The former Napoli and Sampdoria forward is said to be on the radar of both Lazio and Bologna.
The report adds that both Milan and Inter are looking at the talented Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and former Lille winger Sofiane Boufal (below), who has shown only glimpses of his talent since that £16 million move in the summer of 2016.
Finally, Calciomercato believes that Dusan Tadic could be off too – with Italy also his destination. It is understood that the Serbian playmaker could be available for a fee of around £9 million.
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