Sky Sports is reporting that Southampton are interested in signing Marin Pongracic from RB Salzburg.
What’s the story?
Apparently, Ralph Hasenhuttl is said to be open to signing another centre-back, and the 22-year-old is one player he is believed to have his eye on.
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The report adds that he is a long-term target for the Saints.
Not the right signing
It makes sense that Hasenhuttl would be after a new centre-back. After all, his side has conceded 36 goals so far in the Premier League this campaign, which is more than any team in the division. If he plans on keeping them in the top tier, is it an area in which they will need to improve dramatically.
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However, the Croatia U21 international does not look like he is the man they need. He has spent a significant portion of the season out injured, for starters, which suggests that he is has some issues that need clearing up. When he has made it on to the pitch, though, he has been far from impressive.
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He has made seven appearances in all competitions, and RB Salzburg do not have the best record when he is at the heart of their defence. In the five league games he has taken part in, they have conceded seven goals. They have shipped 11 in 11 without him, which works out at a better ratio.
In the Champions League, he played just one match, against Napoli. Whilst that ended in a 1-1 draw, he was pulled off at half-time after managing a WhoScored rating of just 6.02. That is not the kind of solidity that Southampton are crying out for.
Currently valued at just £5.4m by Transfermarkt, his arrival would not break the bank. However, that does not mean that the St Mary’s Stadium outfit should be tempted into a move. They would be better served spending a little more on someone with a bigger wealth of experience. That may set them back more in the short-term, but in the long-term it could earn them the big bucks.
In other news, Southampton are doing far worse then they should according to the stats.
