Southampton completed their summer of restructuring on deadline day by bringing in electric winger Saido Mane for £10 million – their ninth signing of the summer. The highly-rated 22-year-old rolls up to St Mary’s from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg on a four-year deal and, upon his arrival, Saints boss Ronald Koeman reckoned he has a real talent on his hands:
“Last season Ajax played against Salzburg in Europe, and I saw him playing and was impressed with his qualities and with the physicality that he showed. He can play in different positions in the attack – he can play on the left or right side and also as a number nine. It is incredible how many goals he has scored from his position, and I hope that he will do the same for us. With the way that we play and the fact that I know him very well, this is a good step forward for him.”
THE HISTORY
Born in Senegal, Mane began his career at French side Metz, where, as a 19-year-old, he made 22 appearances in his first and only season, scoring twice.
Purchased by Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 for around €4 million – the third largest transfer fee Metz have ever received – it’s fair to say Mane was a huge success in Austria. Mainly fielded on the left flank, his blistering pace, strength and expert finishing served up an eye-catching 45 goals and 32 assists in just 87 appearances across all competitions, with 13 goals and 13 assists in 33 league matches last year indicative of his burgeoning form.
His disciplinary record could certainly be improved upon, though – 18 yellows and four dismissals over his time in Salzburg highlights his propensity for incurring the referee’s wrath.
THE PROSPECTS
After a summer of transition that saw the club change manager and lose a number of last season’s star players, there’s a feeling that the Saints are none-the-worse after Ronald Koeman drafted in a host of new faces. The reinforcements, allied with the club’s ability to retain key assets such as Morgan Schneiderlin, bode well for the St Mary’s club and Mane is the final piece in an intriguing attacking puzzle that comprises entirely of new faces.
The Senegal winger’s ability to cut inside from the left onto his favoured right foot could potentially allow Koeman to restructure his formation for the season ahead. So far, Dusan Tadic has been fielded on the left of a three-man frontline in the opening trio of fixtures but may be moved into the centre behind Graziano Pelle in a 4-2-3-1, allowing fellow new boy Shane Long a spot on the right.
Such a system would certainly harm the chances of James Ward-Prowse’s pitch time, though the youngster could yet retain a starting berth if Koeman opts for a 4-3-3, with Mane and Tadic potentially handed the roles on either side of Pelle. Despite the considerable outlay on Long, it’s fair to say that – aside from a standout season for Reading in 2010/11 – he’s struggled for consistency in and around the box and, while his work-rate is to be admired, he certainly lacks the burning acceleration and eye for goal of the Saints’ latest signing.
At 7.0 in Fantasy Premier League, Mane comes in cheaper than Tadic (7.5) and is immediately handed a very kind run of fixtures to ease his transition into the Premier League. Koeman’s side were a little slow in finding their form but will be confident of building on the back of last week’s 3-1 win over West Ham – four favourable home encounters (NEW, QPR, SUN, STO) are allied with a trip to Swansea in the next six Gameweeks alone.
Granted, it may take a while for him to acclimatise to a far more physical environment but if Mane can replicate a fraction of the form that terrorised backlines in the Austrian top-flight, Koeman’s latest signing could be a serious mid-price contender for our five-man midfields.
