Sam Gallagher has scored more goals than any other Southampton player this season.
Sam Gallagher scores for Blackburn Rovers against Nottingham Forest
Sam Gallagher has frequently been linked with a move away from Southampton, but Saturday’s goalless draw showed why a promising young striker shouldn’t be allowed to exit.
Against a porous Bournemouth defence, Southampton dominated for much of match but couldn’t turn that domination into goals.
They were missing Manolo Gabbiadini, who has scored six goals in five games since arriving from Napoli, and looked toothless in his absence much as they did for the majority of the first half of the season.
None of the club’s other strikers, from the injury-prone Charlie Austin to the wasteful Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez, who has never looked the same since his injury, have impressed.
Sam Gallagher was promoted to Southampton’s first team by Mauricio Pochettino, but has so far been ignored to the two managers who followed
Meanwhile, one division down, 21-year-old Gallagher has been catching the eye and his tally of ten league goals for a struggling Blackburn side, where he is on a season-long loan, is more than any Southampton player has this season.
Given attack is clearly an area of weakness for Saints, letting a promising young striker leave would be unwise, unless Claude Puel has decided Gallagher doesn’t fit his system.
Given he’s nimble despite being well over six foot and already offers more in his all-round game than Austin, that would seem unlikely.
Gallagher may not be the answer but, with Southampton all strikers bar Gabbiadini having underwhelmed this season, it would be foolish not to at least give him a chance.
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