The winter transfer window is up and running and a lot of clubs have already started planning their strategies to utilize the transfer window. This window can play an important role for the teams that are fighting for the survival in the Premier League.
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl would be looking forward to this transfer window as his job seems to be on the line after another horrendous start to their campaign. The Saints have just managed to score 21 times in 20 games, that is just about a goal per match.
They are sitting above the relegation places and it looks like they would be fighting to stay afloat this season as well. But for that to happen, Hasenhüttl must add attacking reinforcements to his squad to save his side as well as his job.
Southampton have been linked with a move for Shoya Nakajima (h/t The Sun), a pacy winger from Japan, who plies his trade in the Portuguese league. With a £15m deal seemingly on the horizon, the attacker is a hot prospect amongst a lot of teams right now.
The Saints are desperately short in terms of depth out wide, having loaned Sofiane Boufal and Josh Sims while only bringing in Mohamed Elyounoussi from Switzerland.
Nakajima, 24, has bagged four goals and three assists in 8 matches so far in the Portuguese top flight. However, standing at just five-foot-four, the winger would bring some serious pace and agility to the left-hand side, rivalling Nathan Redmond for the starting spot.
The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form since making the move to Portimonense back in the summer of 2017, netting ten goals and laying on 12 assists for the club last season in their run to tenth place in the Portuguese top-flight. These were comparable numbers to that of Elyounossi’s during his last year with Basel.
While the Portuguese league is a stronger competition than the top tier of Swiss football, it’s still tough to expect the Japanese international to replicate those numbers in the Premier League.
Southampton really need to acquire a couple of good attacking players in the coming transfer window if they want to avoid the drop as their goal-scoring prowess has been under fire this whole season. They lack creativity in the final third and there is a dearth of players that can make an impact in the opposition half.
Hasenhüttl needs a player of Nakajima’s quality – someone who can create opportunities for the forwards and take the onus on himself to score some important goals. The price tag associated with the player is also cheap considering the inflation in the transfer market.
Southampton should definitely go for the Japanese international if they want to add some creativity and pace to their attack. The new manager would not want to miss on the winger as this could make all the difference for the Saints in the days to come.
