Who is Manolo Gabbiadini? The Southampton new boy starring against Manchester United in the EFL Cup final
Striker has taken the Premier League by storm after January move from Napoli scoring three goals in two games.
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MANOLO Gabbiadini, a £15million January signing from Napoli, has been a revelation for Southampton.
The 25-year-old Italian international has taken the Premier League by storm since arriving at St. Mary’s Stadium, and already looks like one of the bargains of the mid-season transfer window.
have taken a look at how Gabbiadini has revitalised Claude Puel’s Saints ahead of their EFL Cup Final against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.
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Marked out as a prospect of some note while a young player, Gabbiadini bagged 12 goals in 24 appearances for Italy’s under-21 side.
Though not quite as prolific in his early career, his technical quality and immense potential was evident as he rose through the ranks at Atalanta, and Juventus soon snapped him up on a co-ownership agreement in 2012, the kind of which was especially popular in Italy at the time.
Gabbiadini never made an appearance for the Old Lady, though, and joined Sampdoria in 2013 after impressing during a loan spell at Bologna, although Juventus retained their 50 per cent stake in the player.
And it was with the Genoese side that the young forward really began to blossom. In his two seasons at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris he scored 19 goals in 50 games, impressing with his near-flawless technique and wonderful left foot.
His reward was a move to Napoli, who purchased Gabbiadini’s registration outright in January 2015.
Although his time with the Partenopei was sprinkled with intermittent moments of brilliance, at his best as a second striker, rather than an out-and-out No.9, he struggled to fit in Maurizio Sarri’s 4-3-3 system.
What’s more, he was competing with the red-hot Gonzalo Higuain for a starting berth up front. And, though Gabbiadini is also able to play on the right wing, cutting inside on to his left foot, he was behind Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens in the pecking order.
Unable to hold down a regular spot in Sarri’s first-choice XI, the this season, and Southampton pounced.
He may have only made two appearances for the South Coast club to date, but Saints fans are already giddy with excitement over their latest arrival, who has wasted no time in scoring three goals for his new club.
Puel has utilised several different formations to date this season, and Gabbiadini’s versatility will see him fit into any of them. Most recently, the Saints have been playing with a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 shape, with their new signing at the point of the attack.
Should the French tactician decide to revisit the 4-1-2-1-2 system that was so prominent at St. Mary’s earlier this season, Gabbiadini would thrive either leading the line or playing just behind a No.9.
He is by no means the quickest, but what Gabbiadini lacks in pace, he more than makes up for with his intelligent movement, sublime touch and impeccable technique.
A gifted set-piece taker, the six-cap Azzurri star strikes the ball as purely with his left foot as any elite player. When through on goal, he is almost eerily calm, giving the impression that he has all of the time in the world to take aim for the corner of the goal.
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Statistically, having only played two games so far for Southampton, it would be foolish to draw any grand conclusions from Gabbiadini’s numbers as the sample size is too small.
However, the attacking productivity he has mustered thus far, if maintained over the course of a season, would make him a genuine Premier League star. With an average of 1.5 chances created, 5.5 shots and 0.5 dribbles per game, Gabbiadini has been a handful for the West Ham United and Sunderland defences.
The Saints will be hoping he is equally effective at Wembley this weekend.