Southampton target Sturridge loan and bid for Sessegnon
Southampton are interested in recruiting Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge on loan until the end of the season and are also ready to make an audacious bid for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon.
After selling Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for £75 million on Wednesday, Southampton want to reinvest quickly, in an attacker and centre-back.
Manager Mauricio Pellegrino is desperate to add pace, power and goals to his team, and one of the most intriguing names on his list is Liverpool’s Sturridge.
His Anfield contributions have been limited by persistent injury but, even when fit, the emergence this season of Jurgen Klopp’s “Fab Four” of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane has left Sturridge unlikely to start even when available.
Southampton have their own short-term problems in attack following Charlie Austin’s injury and, although they are also looking at permanent options, they would be very interested in taking a proven goalscorer such as Sturridge on loan. With competition for attacking places intense in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, Sturridge needs regular r football to give him himself the best chance of being selected for the World Cup.
Southampton on believe that a loan deal may y be most viable and could appeal to all parties, even if it did not form m part of the negotiations for Van Dijk. Southampton have also been en linked with several former mer players who are struguggling for reguu- lar games, notably Theo Walcott and Luke Shaw, and would be interested if f they could d match their r hefty wage e demands.
Sessegnon, the 17-year-old d Fulham winggback, signed ed his first professional contract last year and is wanted by most of the biggest clubs in England. Southampton know that a deal would be difficult given the competition but could argue th that they offer an ideal steppi stepping stone, given their comm commitment to giving youngsters Premier League experience. Meanwhi Meanwhile Klopp said last night that Van Dijk will need time to adju adjust to life at An Anfield. “He has to ad adapt to our style o of play,” said the manager. “It is different, but we are 100 per cent sure he’ll do it.” It has emerged th that Celtic’s cut of the Van Dijk fee could be m more than the straigh straight 10 per cent of the to total fee originally sugge suggested. They stand to ear earn 15 per cent of the p profit made by Southa Southampton, which would yield around £9.5 mil million.