Graziano Pelle arrives at St Mary's, reuniting with former manager Ronald Koeman, as a man tasked to replace Rickie Lambert as the club's goal scorer. Having watched him since making his debut for Feyenoord, Pelle could be an immediate remedy for fans who are upset about the exodus of stars from Southampton.
A question so often asked by many is why he is so often overlooked by the Italian squad who have at times cried out for a striker like Pelle. The answer is short and simple, his goal scoring exploits have not come in Serie A. Considered a flop in his earlier years in Italy, Pelle has become a goal machine since his arrival at Feyenoord and his move to a more competitive league like the Premiership could see him finally be considered for a spot in the Italian national team.
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| Graziano Pelle poses with a Southampton shirt after completing his move |
At 6ft 4 and blessed with a stocky build, Pelle is a real handful for defenders. Saints fans should not expect a striker that is nimble and dances through defences as Pelle is poacher that does most of his work in the box. Labelled a poacher due to his ability of being in the right place at the right time, Pelle's strongest attribute is his heading ability and with players like Rodriguez delivering crosses, the Italian won't be short of service.
Pelle will do a number of jobs that Lambert used to fulfil for Southampton. Pelle can act as a target man and will hold the ball up top while team mates get forward, bringing other players into a forward move at the pinnacle of the attack. Koeman recognises the gap Lambert left and said: “Goals mean points, and we needed a good player in that position after Rickie Lambert left. In terms of his qualities, he’s a tall striker with a lot of movement and he’s fast. He’s a player who gives confidence to the team because he keeps the ball, and he’s very dangerous in front of goal."
Pelle revealed that Southampton were not the only club clambering for his services. He said: “I’m really happy that it’s finally signed, I had some teams interested in me, but this is going to be the best choice for me because the club wants to keep improving every year. The talks between us were only short in terms of how long it took to convince each other. I was pretty sure that, for me, this would be a great step."
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| The Italian forward scored 50 times in 57 appearances in the last two seasons, a statistic not to be sniffed at |
Koeman is man who knows how to get the best out of Pelle. The forward arrived at Feyenoord as a player lacking confidence and deemed a flop by many despite showing early promise. It was Koeman who got the best out of him and it will be Koeman who can get the best out of him at Southampton. With so many stars leaving the club, the new manager has began his Dutch revolution by capturing one of the best players in the Eredivise as well as FC Twente's Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic for £10m.
Koeman's revolution is well under way at St Mary's and with the signing of Graziano Pelle, it has been kicked off with a fantastic signing. The exciting changes at Southampton under Koeman's vision will continue throughout the summer with plenty of fresh faces expected to arrive, but Saints fans have every right to be very intrigued by their latest signing. Pelle could either be a real hit in the Premiership or prove to be a player who can only succeed in one league, but the previous is the most likely.
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