Southampton are still in the race for Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha despite Premier League newcomers Fulham entering talks last week, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
It’s not a decision that everyone on the banks of the Solent would have agreed with.
According to The Athletic, Southampton have informed Fraser Forster that his contract will not be extended, his current deal expiring in a matter of weeks.
The former England international may have been Ralph Hasenhuttl’s most consistent performer during a miserable run of form – Southampton’s only win, against Arsenal, was achieved thanks to Forster’s Man of the Match performance – but it seems his age, rather than his ability, is hammering the final nail into the shot-stopper’s St Mary’s coffin.
The report adds that Southampton are looking to bring in a younger model between the sticks.
Strakosha certainly ticks that box. At 27, the Greek-born Albanian is seven years Forster’s junior.
Southampton and Fulham want Thomas Strakosha
Corriere dello Sport say that Strakosha has no intention of extending his contract, the long-serving goalkeeper set to depart on a free in July. Fulham entered talks on Friday but CdS claim that Southampton’s interest is ‘more nuanced’ at this stage.
What that actually means, however, is not exactly clear. Perhaps they are referring to the fact that this isn’t the first time Strakosha has registered on Southampton’s radar. The Saints were linked last summer too, when Strakosha was valued in the region of £25 million.
12 months on, with that very same player available for absolutely nothing – and with Southampton’s desire for a new shot-stopper greater now than it was in 2021 – you can understand why Strakosha is once again emerging as a topic for discussion on the south coast.
‘Extraordinary’
“I’m not an expert in goalkeepers but I’d give him 10/10,” former Lazio youth coach Alberto Bollini said of Strakosha.
“He has extraordinary athleticism. He is tenacious and has a cool head.”
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Strakosha’s agent, the influential Pini Zahavi, counts Fulham striker Aleksandr Mitrovic and former Southampton skipper Pierre-Emile Hjobjerg among his clients.
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