Young forward Benni Smales-Braithwaite has penned a professional contract with the Saints just a year after leaving Man City.
A number of Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to give their thoughts on the news of young forward Benni Smales-Braithwaite agreeing terms on his first professional contract (official club website).
The 17-year-old joined the Saints from Manchester City in 2018 and worked his way into Paul Hardyman’s Under-18s side as a first-year scholar last term, making 19 appearances and scoring three goals.
On Friday, the club announced that Smales-Braithwaite had put pen to paper on a three-year deal, taking him through until June 2022, and academy manager Matt Hale believes he could go on to become a real star.
“Benni is an example of a player who has come through our acquisition model at 16,” Hale told the official website. “Joining us last year following good work in our recruitment and talent ID areas, Benni was identified as a young player with real talent and lots of potential.
“He has a great eye for goal and has superb finishing technique, as well as being clever and imaginative which allows him to play as both a number nine and 10. He deserves his professional contract and we look forward to seeing him progress next season.”
With both first-team boss Ralph Hasenhuttl and Under-23s Radhi Jaidi having worked wonders with up-and-coming talents, he is very much at the right place to rise up the ranks and break into the first team – one wonders whether the same thing would realistically have happened at the Etihad.
Here is how some Southampton fans reacted on the social media platform to the news of the former Man City youth talent now being on the Saints’ books as a pro:
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