Last weekend, Southampton made their first foray into the transfer market this summer with the signing of winger Nathan Redmond from Norwich for a fee believed to be around £10 million.
Speaking to the club’s official website about his move to St Mary’s, the 22-year-old attacker reckons he’s perfectly suited to the with Saints’ tactical approach:
“Their style of play, having played against them a couple of times during my career, is an attacking one. It’s something I feel I can fit well into. It just felt right when Southampton called and said they were interested. Having had a look around the training ground, it feels like a place where I can learn and develop as a player. I’m always looking to learn and develop as a player and I’ll be looking to improve on any weaknesses I can. The training ground here feels like a fantastic place to do that.”
THE HISTORY
Born in Birmingham, Redmond caught the attention of Birmingham City’s scouts at the age of eight, and progressed through the club’s academy to make his professional debut against Rochdale in a League Cup tie in August 2010, aged just 16 years and 173 days, becoming the club’s second-youngest player ever.
During the 2011/12 campaign, Redmond established himself as a member of the Blues’ first-team squad, ending the season with seven goals and three assists from 37 appearances, while he also picked up the club’s Young Player of the Year award. His development stalled somewhat the following season under new manager Lee Clark, finishing the campaign with just two goals and seven assists from 42 matches in all competitions.
With Birmingham still struggling financially following their relegation from the Premier League in 2011, the club accepted £3m offers from both Swansea City and Norwich City in the summer of 2013, with Redmond choosing to link up with former Blues boss Chris Hughton at Carrow Road. His first season with the Canaries was a difficult one, with the winger scoring just once and providing six assists in 39 appearances in all competitions as the club were relegated to the Championship. Inconsistency continued to blight Redmond’s performances until Alex Neil was appointed as Norwich’s new manager in January 2015, with the wide man ending the 2014/15 season in sparkling form, culminating in him scoring in the 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the play-off final to secure Norwich’s promotion back to the top flight.
Redmond was more impressive in his second Premier League campaign for the Canaries last term, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 35 league appearances, albeit as part of a side that once again dropped down to the second tier of English football.
Redmond has played through all the youth age groups for England, and has made 30 appearances for the Under-21s, scoring nine goals. He was an integral part of the side that won the Toulon Tournament earlier this summer.
THE PROSPECTS
Discussing Southampton’s latest addition, Executive Director of Football Les Reed spoke of his excitement over the capture of the Norwich winger:
“Despite being just 22, Nathan has gained plenty of experience in the Premier League with Norwich City, showing his quality at the top level on a consistent basis. He has also performed exceptionally well on the international stage, playing a key role in helping England Under-21s win the Toulon Tournament this summer. While Nathan has already gained Premier League experience, he has the potential to continue developing and becoming an integral part of the squad for years to come.”
Following the departure of Sadio Mane to Liverpool, there looks to be little doubt that Redmond will have been lined up to replace the Senegal international in the Saints starting XI. Although former Nice boss Claude Puel was only confirmed as Southampton’s new manager earlier this afternoon, Redmond has been a long-term target among the Saints hierarchy.
Redmond averaged a chance every 46 minutes last season, and registered more attempts on goal (54) than any other Norwich player. Given he came on as a substitute 11 times last term, the second of those statistics is particularly impressive, and should the England Under-21 international hit the ground running for his new club, there is little doubt we’ll see that number increase next season.
The new Saints signing should also benefit from playing without the burden of a relegation battle, with the attacking winger often falling foul to a more defensive approach under both Hughton and Neil during his time at Norwich. He’ll also be playing alongside much higher calibre forwards such as Graziano Pelle and Shane Long, who should convert a much higher percentage of Redmond’s crosses than the likes of Cameron Jerome and Dieumerci Mbokani.
Redmond was priced at 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) at the start of last season, although he ended the campaign at just 5.0. Moving to a team that finished sixth in the Premier League last season, it’s likely the winger will set us back between 7.0 and 7.5 next season, slightly cheaper than Dusan Tadic. The Serbian ended last season with eight goals and 13 assists in FPL, and ranked fourth among midfielders during the final 10 matches for touches inside the box with 52.
Southampton’s fixture list is mixed during the opening months of the season, with favourable home matches (WAT, SUN, SWA, BUR) tempered by difficult away trips to Man United, Arsenal, West Ham, Leicester and Man City.
Bearing in mind that Tadic scored or assisted 47.6% of his side’s goals whilst he was on the pitch last season, the Serbian looks Southampton’s most reliable source of points in the post-Koeman era. Redmond will have to convince FPL bosses of his worth during the opening weeks of the season, though if he ups his conversion rate (11.1%), the new boy may well emerge as a viable option in the mid-price bracket.
