Southampton have made an £11 million bid for Almeria striker Darwin Nunez, according to Calciomercato.
In a battle between two Uruguayan goal-machines, a 33-year-old veteran came out on top against his young pretender this weekend.
Inspired by their 31-goal talisman Cristhian Stuani, Girona beat an ambitious, Saudi-backed Almeria side over two legs to secure their place in the Spanish second-tier play-off final.
As a result, Almeria have been consigned to another season of Segunda football.
While the Rojiblancos have money to burn these days and aspirations to match, they will surely have no choice but to sell a player who has outgrown a small pond.
Sheffield United and Brighton have already been linked with Nunez, while Calciomercato suggests that the so-called ‘new Cavani’ is also a target for Italian giants Napoli and Roma.
But, as it stands, a Southampton side who have attacked the transfer market head on this summer are at the front of the queue, slapping an £11 million bid onto Almeria’s table.
Danny Ings had the season of his life in 2019/20 and, while Che Adams finally stirred into life during the final few weeks of the campaign, Southampton would benefit from some new attacking additions if they are to turn a respectable mid-table finish into a bonafide European charge.
Ings, after all, was the only member of Hasenhuttl’s squad to score more than five times in 2019/20.
“He is a fast, very strong attacker. He has physical strength and good instincts, like (Edinson) Cavani. He can thrive in the penalty area,” former Uruguayan winger Mariano Bogliacino told Radio Kiss Kiss recently.
Nunez scored 16 goals in 32 games for Almeria last season.
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