Southampton are among a host of clubs looking to rescue £15 million Rick Karsdorp from his Roma nightmare this summer, according to Voetbal International.
When the three-time Holland international swapped Feyenoord for Roma in 2017, he appeared to have taken a giant stride towards becoming one of the finest full-backs in European football.
But, thanks to an unrelenting series of injuries which forced him to sit out a remarkable 67 games in just two years at the Stadio Olimpico, Karsdorp returned to his homeland desperate to rebuild his ailing reputation 12 months ago.
A loan spell back at Feyenoord did not exactly go to plan, however.
The 25-year-old was at times a shadow of his once-buccaneering self, starting just 13 Eredivisie matches under Jaap Stam and Dick Advocaat.
So Southampton, not to mention Napoli, Atalanta, Augsburg and Olympiakos, are taking a risk as they mull over whether or not to offer the £15 million man a fresh start – especially with a cruciate ligament injury headlining a variety of fitness problems.
There does appear to be something in the Solent waterstream, however, with full-backs tending to produce some of the best performances of their career at St Mary’s.
In Ralph Hasenhuttl, the Saints have a coach whose counter-attacking, uber-intense style should suit Karsdorp down to the ground.
If he avoids another spell on the sidelines, there is no reason why Roma’s forgotten man cannot remind everyone why an Italian giant was willing to pay £15 million for him not so long ago.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
