Why Olivier Ntcham to Southampton would boost their midfield options
According to The Sun, Southampton are interested in signing Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham in the summer. The Saints are willing to use goalkeeper Fraser Forster as a makeweight in order to secure the services of the Frenchman, as per the report.
Ntcham, 24, spent his youth career with several clubs in France. After starting out with Chennevieres-Sur-Marne, he has spells with US Ormesson VGA Saint-Maur, Paris FC and Le Havre before joining Manchester City’s youth sides. He went on to make 46 appearances for City’s U23 before moving to Italy with Genoa on a two-year loan deal in 2105.
In his two years in Italy, he made 43 appearances for Genoa, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. The midfielder then joined Celtic in the summer of 2017 and has gone on to make 123 appearances for the Scottish giants, scoring 23 goals and providing 11 assists.
Midfield reinforcement is a must for Southampton
At the moment, Southampton have three attack-minded midfielders in their ranks in James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Stuart Armstrong. Ward-Prowse and Hojbjerg have excelled in the middle of the park and have been consistent in the last few years. Former Celtic man Armstrong has been used on the flanks for the majority of the 2019/20 campaign.
However, Hojbjerg has just one more year left on his contract with the club and has been linked heavily with a move to Tottenham in the summer. Thus, adding a central midfielder to their ranks would be a wise decision by the club.
In that regard, Ntcham would be a considerable option for the Saints. The Frenchman has been a part of the dominant Celtic squad for the past three years and has played a vital role in their trophy-winning campaigns.
In his debut season with the Hoops, he bagged 9 goals and 6 assists in 48 games across all competitions. And after being plagued by injuries last season, he scored 8 goals and 4 assists this term.
He has been consistent in midfield and also has the ability to score from the middle of the park. And this would certainly add a different dimension to Southampton. He would also add the much-needed depth to the squad, especially if Hojbjerg ends up leaving.
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Verdict
At 24, Ntcham looks set to take his game to the next level and at the same time, the Saints need to add new faces to their midfield ranks. With Hojbjerg set to leave, their numbers would be reduced. And thus, they should lure the former Manchester City man to St. Mary’s Stadium this summer.