Italian giants AC Milan are being reported as wanting to take Graziano Pelle back to Italy in the summer according to media sources.

Graziano Pelle looks likely to return to his homeland in the summer with AC Milan leading a number of interested clubs.

Pelle has always expressed a desire to end his career in Italy where he would feel he has unfinished business in that he has never really been a success at domestic level there.

He will turn 31 in July and with the arrival of Charlie Austin at St Mary's it also looks a good time for Saints to cash in and get a return on the £8 million they spent to bring him to the club in the summer of 2014.

That has proved a wise investment and even after his current barren spell (it should be noted here that he has only started 3 Premier League games since mid December) he still has a very good goals per game ratio in his time here, 25 goals in 66(7) appearances in all competitions.

There are some who were on his back early in his career at St Mary's and there are some on his back now, but they are being unfair, Pelle has given Southampton Football Club good service and helped them establish themselves as a top ten club, something that did not look likely given the upheaval when he arrived.

On Saturday he was a vital component in the build up to the equaliser when he chested down a through ball to start the move, just about the only time that he received a ball anywhere near him, strikers receive plaudits when they score and stick when they dont, but on Saturday Pelle's game was not helped by the service he received.

It looks likely he will move on in the summer, if so he should be warmly thanked by Saints fans for his contribution to the club and his goal scoring record made even more impressive when you consider he does not take penalties of free kicks.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 09:49 - Mar 8 I think Pelle is the sort of 'big character' in a very visible position up front who will always attract the critics/abusers. Sadly, I think we have seen his best days now (and, I agree, we did see some very good ones), so departure in the summer is probably good for all concerned. Let's hope he can go out with a couple of match-winning performances.
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GeordieSaint added 12:24 - Mar 8 Quality, get him and Ballotelli up top together. No egos there.
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SonicBoom added 13:35 - Mar 8 ..Im not sure that one of the criticisms you can level at Pelle is ego. He always seems a very humble guy to me.
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DPeps added 13:46 - Mar 8 Assuming he leaves, regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season I think Pelle has been great. He is not a striker who's going to take it around 3 defenders and blast it in from 25 yards, so any barren spell he has must be down to others as well. I can't remember him ever missing a sitter (but am willing to be proved wrong!) and always seems passionate and committed. Opposition teams try to mark him out the game now, which shows how highly he is rated

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SaintBrock added 14:17 - Mar 8 Mixed feelings now. If Austin, Long & Rodrigues can be kept fit - and it is a very big if - both we and he may agree that his future may be better served elsewhere. He is too old and set in his ways to change his style of play and PL centre-backs know just how to deal with him now. Many fans love him - well he is big and good looking in an ugly sort of way - but beyond this faintly romantic notion of him as a person he is not really that good anymore. Time to part our ways.

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Zambucco added 15:06 - Mar 8 for what he cost us and what it would cost to keep him, we should do all we can to make him stay here. We let SRL go far too easily and he would have been brilliant back up on the bench, plus inspiring new players. Pelle could do the same job.
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DPeps added 15:29 - Mar 8 Also, if Pelle leaves he must be replaced. Austin is good but will be out with injuries, Mane is too mercurial to rely on, Jay Rod may never get back to his old form, jury is out on Juanmi, and Long is suitable for some games and not others
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