As one door closes, another – as far as Southampton are concerned – might just have swung wide open.
Even the most optimistic Saints supporter would have to admit that Nathan Jones needs a Christmas miracle straight out of a Hollywood script if Cody Gakpo is to end up on the South Coast in the New Year.
Southampton came oh-so close to signing one of Europe’s most coveted forwards on the final day of the summer window. Now, after scoring three times in five games at the Qatar World Cup while taking his game to a whole new level at PSV Eindhoven, the £45 million-rated Gakpo has drifted out of reach for a club destined to spend Christmas day in the relegation zone.
“Southampton wanted to pay 32 million (euros) for Cody,” explains former PSV director John De Jong. “With a number of bonuses that were difficult to realise.
“I was close to leaving,” Gakpo adds, via The Times. “I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end, I stayed. But it was a stressful period.”
Can Tete be Southampton’s Cody Gakpo alternative?
But while the Gakpo ship has long since left the harbour, that does not mean Southampton cannot still secure the services of an exciting, potentially season-salvaging forward during the January window.
According to 90Min, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Tete has been offered to a number of Premier League clubs, a loan-to-buy deal on the cards. Tete, who has played for Brazil at youth level, is currently on loan at Lyon but looks set to leave the Ligue 1 giants after failing to win over OL’s new head coach; 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc.
And if Tete’s name feels oddly familiar to Southampton supporters, there’s a very good reason for that. The Saints, after all, were ‘confident’ of securing the 22-year-old’s signature almost 12 months ago; losing out to Lyon after the Premier League decided to block the arrival of players fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion (90Min).
During the winter window, there will be no such obstacles in place. Furthermore, with Tete’s Shakhtar contract expiring in July, the former Gremio whizzkid should be available for a fraction of his £25 million asking price.
Now, Tete is not quite as prolific or as explosive as Gakpo. But, in 18 Ligue 1 starts for Lyon, he’s scored or assisted no fewer than 14 goals. Tete is quick, tricky and capable of producing something rather ‘special’ out of very little. For a team lacking match-winners in the final third, Tete has the makings of a genuinely game-changing addition.
Cody Gakpo might have been Southampton’s dream signing. But, as consolation prizes go, there’s few better than Tete.
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