Southampton have announced they have signed Manolo Gabbiadini from Napoli in a club-record deal worth an initial £14.6m that could rise by a further £2.6m with add-ons.
Claude Puel’s side have been in the market for a new striker since Charlie Austin was ruled out for four months at the start of December and have been in talks with Napoli for the last few weeks.
Southampton’s initial £13.7m offer with £3.4m in add-ons was rejected last week and the Premier League outfit have improved their offer, which could surpass the £16m they paid Lille for Sofiane Boufal in the summer.
Gabbiadini, 25, who has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Southampton, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent transfer windows after failing to establish himself at Napoli following a move from Sampdoria in January 2015.
The Italy international has even dropped below Dries Mertens in the pecking order for a starting spot up front in the wake of Arkadiusz Milk’s long-term, while Leonardo Pavoletti’s January arrival only limited chances further.
Gabbiadini has only scored 16 goals in 56 Serie A goals for Napoli in the last three campaigns.
For more stats on Manolo Gabbiadini, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
