Premier League outfit Southampton have joined the race to sign Basel’s Brazilian striker Arthur Cabral ahead of the January transfer window, as reported by UOL.
If you buy a ticket, you might win the raffle. At least, that appears to be Adam Armstrong’s approach to shooting.
Only six players in the Premier League have taken more shots at goal than Southampton’s number nine this season (WhoScored).
And, after nine goalless games and countless attempts, Armstrong finally struck gold against Aston Villa before the November international break. His thumping half-volley secured three valuable points and cost Dean Smith his job.
Whether this proves to be a turning point in Armstrong’s Saints career remains to be seen.
Despite winning three of their past four league games, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have scored only ten goals in 11 matches this season. Armstrong, Che Adams, Theo Walcott, Nathan Tella and co have struggled to fill a void created by the departure of talismanic centre-forward Danny Ings.
Cabral could be a Danny Ings replacement at Southampton
Few would be surprised to learn, then, that Southampton appear to be targeting a new number nine with the January transfer window only a few weeks away.
6ft 7in Italy U21 star Lorenzo Lucca, the hot-shot ‘Tower of Pisa’, has already been linked.
And, according to UOL, Arthur Cabral is another in Southampton’s sights. However, the Saints have competition from Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Sevilla and a Fiorentina side scouring the market for potential Dusan Vlahovic replacements.
In his past 24 games, Cabral has produced a remarkable 23 goals and eight assists.
Cabral, like Vlahovic, appears to have turned down the chance to sign a new contract at Basel with reports linking Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and West Ham with the highly rated Brazilian.
Leeds United, meanwhile, failed with a bid for Cabral in summer 2020. It’s understood Basel value their star striker at £14 million.
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