Southampton are planning to rival Roma for Sassuolo striker Gregoire Defrel, but will have to pay big money for the 26-year-old.
According to a report from The Sun, Southampton are interested in bringing Gregoire Defrel to the Premier League, but will have to rival Roma if they want to win the race for the Sassuolo striker.
The 26-year-old enjoyed an extremely impressive season in Serie A, scoring 12 times in the top flight to help his side register a comfortable mid-table finish.
Sassuolo’s Gregoire Defrel celebrates
His form has attracted Roma’s attention, with The Sun reporting that they have earmarked the Frenchman as a potential replacement for Liverpool’s summer signing Mohamed Salah.
But The Sun adds that the Saints are also keen on landing Defrel, but may have to pay a sizeable fee for the forward, with Sassuolo looking for £18 million for their top goalscorer in the league this past term.
If Southampton do win the race for Defrel, the south coast side will be hoping that he goes on to make the kind of impact that Manolo Gabbiadini made following his own switch from Serie A back in January.
Gabbiadini scored six in his first four games for the club, including a brace – that should have arguably been a hat-trick – in the EFL Cup defeat to Manchester United.

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