Southampton opinion: Should the Saints sign Wanderson?

The battle for survival in the Premier League is well and truly on with Southampton, Cardiff and Burnley separated by just 3 points. The Saints came back from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 at the weekend as Ralph Hasenhuttl seems to be working his magic at the St Mary’s so far.

One of Southampton’s biggest reasons for downfall this season is their end product from their wide men. Nathan Redmond and Mohamed Elyounoussi have failed to score a single goal in the games that they have started out wide.

The issue has forced Hasenhuttl to switch to a back three and Nathan Redmond has been moved up top. Southampton have to invest in a proper winger if they stay up in the Premier League and FC Krasnodar’s Wanderson would be a brilliant addition.

Fast and tricky, Wanderson has been an import part of Krasnodar this campaign and has been directly involved in 9 goals so far. The Brazilian is capable of playing on both wings and also as a centre-forward, and would do brilliantly by switching positions with Redmond.

Thanks to his schooling at Ajax and Salzburg, Wanderson is used to playing a high-pressing style, something that Hasenhuttl expects from his team. Wanderson’s ability to adapt to different positions in a single game without any difficulty is highly commendable and would give a lot of options to his manager.

Wanderson is a pretty pacey customer but unlike most wingers, he doesn’t overly rely on his pace to get away from his marker. The 24-year-old is technically sound and uses his quick passing to link up with his teammates in and around the box.

The former Salzburg man is an exceptional dribbler and loves to show off his skills and tricks on the pitch. Wanderson is often seen dropping back to receive possession in his own half before effortlessly dribbling away from his opponents into the box.

Although work needs to be done with his long passes, Wanderson’s crosses are deadly and with a poacher in the box, the combination would score a tremendous amount of goals. The 24-year-old has a decent shot in him too and is often seen popping shots at goal from distance.

Conclusion

Southampton’s need for a winger has been evident all season and with Mohamed Elyounoussi’s summer move proving to be a failure, Wanderson would provide a ton of options for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

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The Brazilian’s versatility of playing anywhere across the front three will be highly beneficial to the Saints and his dribbling and skill on the ball is sure to excite the St Mary’s next season and Hasenhuttl should seriously consider making a move for the Brazilian in the summer.