Bologna have no interest in selling reported Southampton and Leicester City target Mattias Svanberg during the January transfer window, technical director Walter Sabatini has told Sky, via Football Italia.
Given the Rossoblu have picked up just 17 points from 17 games this season – relegation form, in other words – the Serie A strugglers are understandably desperate to hang on to their key players during what could be a make or break transfer window.
Gianluca di Marzio claims Leicester were interested in signing 22-year-old Sweden international Svanberg.
And with Dennis Praet facing three months on the sidelines, the Foxes may have been tempted to step up their pursuit of an energetic enforcer renowned for his tactical awareness and positional intelligence.
But, according to Sabatini, Svanberg isn’t for sale.
What’s more, reports suggesting the former Malmo ace could link up with fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic appear to be wide of the mark.
“Bologna don’t want to sell him and Milan have never asked information about him,” Sabatini explains.
“There are many clubs interested – but not Milan. Bologna’s best players are not for sale.”
Southampton will also have to look elsewhere in pursuit of a new midfielder amid claims Hamza Choudhury and 29-year-old free agent Wellington Martins are targets.
However, with Stuart Armstrong, James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu in the form of their lives, and with Ibrahima Diallo starting to make his mark, you get the feeling the Saints will be fine without Svanberg.
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