Southampton failed to sign Jens Petter Hauge on loan from AC Milan before landing Liverpool bench-warmer Takumi Minamino on the final day of the January transfer window, as reported by Calciomercato.
It has not been a great week for two of Bodo/Glimt’s title-winning heroes.
While Kasper Junker was left ‘frustrated and disappointed’ after being denied the chance to leave the Eliteserien champions, former teammate Hauge has just been dumped from AC Milan’s Europa League squad in rather unceremonious fashion.
Despite scoring stunning solo goals against both Celtic and Sparta Prague in the group-stages, the fleet-footed winger will not play in Europe’s secondary club competition again this season.
After the arrivals of Mario Mandzukic, Fikayo Tomori and Soualiho Meite, one unlucky player was always going to miss out.
And, as reported by Football Italia, it is Hauge who has been omitted.
This comes after the 21-year-old missed out on a loan move to Southampton on deadline day. The Saints showed an interest, along with Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart, before jumping at the chance to sign the seldom-seen Minamino from Liverpool instead.
Then again, Hauge would have been forgiven for letting out an almighty sigh of relief after Southampton suffered a repeat of that Leicester City nightmare away at Manchester United; on Groundhog Day, of all days.
Hauge, who has been compared to Tottenham superstar Heung Min Son due to his explosive pace off the left-hand side, should still have a role to play in Milan’s Scudetto charge too.
“For the way he moves and for the goals he scores, he resembles Son of Tottenham, one of the 10 best players in the world today,” Milan legend Carlo Pellegatti told Tuttomercatoweb.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
