Why Southampton signing Ibrahim Sangare would be a fantastic move
According to The Telegraph, Southampton want Ibrahim Sangare as a direct replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who departed for Tottenham earlier in the transfer window (source – Sky Sports).
Profile
Ibrahim Sangare is a 22-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder who plays for Ligue 1 side Toulouse FC. he started his youth career at Tout Puissant Koumasi in 2011 before moving to AS Denguele in 2012.
After four seasons, he made the move to Europe with Toulouse for an undisclosed fee. He featured sporadically for them in the first season. From the second season onwards, he started to get more games. In four seasons for the club, he has played 86 games, scoring 2 goals and 5 assists (source – Transfermarkt).
Despite the young age, Sangare has already played 3 games for the senior Ivory Coast side.
Do Southampton need him?
Southampton are down to bare bones in the midfield after the departures of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed. They are left with the likes of Stuart Armstrong, James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone.
Now that is what you call a recipe for disaster if you are going into a league season with just those names. They are not only short on quality but also on quantity. An injury to one or two and they will be looking at a crisis mid-season.
Ibrahim Sangare not only adds to the numbers but his versatility is an added bonus. Apart from his natural position of defensive midfield, he can play as a central midfielder as well as an attacking-midfielder.
Verdict
All those factors will no doubt entice a club like Southampton. Sangare was one of the few bright spots in Toulouse’s 2019/20 season.
Given his performances last season, there was no doubt that clubs would be after his signature. Last month, Spurs were looking at Sangare to bolster their midfield (source – Football.london).
Southampton will need to act fast if they are to secure his services. Young players with potential don’t usually stay at their club for too long. The club need him more than anything. He is a one-stop solution to all their problems. A like-to-like replacement for Hojbjerg as well as a utility option to use in other areas of the midfield. Now that’s something more than the club could ask for.
