Saints have finally announced the signing of Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli with the Italian joining for an undislosed fee which is believed to be well short of the 25 million euros that Napoli originally wanted.
Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Italian international Manolo Gabbiadini on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
The 25 year-old forward arrives from Serie A side Napoli for an undisclosed fee on a deal until the summer of 2021.
Gabbiadini’s career began with Atalanta, where he made 26 appearances in all competitions between 2009 and 2012, while also enjoying a successful spell with Cittadella, in Serie B.
The Italy international has since gone on to represent Bologna, Sampdoria and Napoli in Serie A, making 160 appearances in all competitions for the three clubs.
In total, Gabbiadini has netted 58 club goals in 215 appearances during his time in Italy, while also winning six caps for the Italian national side, scoring once.
Speaking about his move to the club, Gabbiadini said: "I am very, very happy. Since I was a kid, one of my dreams was to perform in one of the biggest leagues in the world, so now that it's happening I can't wait to start playing.
"The facilities that I have seen here are an incredible level — top-level standards even for Serie A. These are the sort of facilities that make you want to come here and perform as soon as possible.”
Executive Director of Football Les Reed said: "We are delighted to have secured the signing of Manolo Gabbiadini, ahead of a number of other clubs who were interested in him.
"We have followed his progress for a significant amount of time and have worked hard behind the scenes to agree a deal for him this month.
"At the age of 25, we believe Manolo can play an important part in the remainder of the season, while still having his best years ahead of him.
"Claude Puel’s reputation for developing young players also makes this an ideal place in which he can take the next step in his career.
"With Jay Rodriguez, Shane Long and Nathan Redmond all in good form, and Charlie Austin making encouraging progress in his return from injury, Manolo is another exciting addition to our attacking line-up ahead of the final months of the season, as well as for future campaigns.”