Southampton opinion: The Saints should go for Mateus Uribe

According to a report from ESPN, Southampton are interested in signing Club America midfielder Mateus Uribe.

Uribe, 28, had a phenomenal Copa America with Colombia and is now looking for an opportunity to play in Europe. Despite having never played outside of the Americas, Hasenhuttl must take a punt on the Colombian international.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been a positive influence at the St. Mary’s since replacing Mark Hughes at the start of this year. The Austrian tactician has been a breath of fresh air and the players responded to his style incredibly well, helping the Saints retain their Premier League status.

Southampton have made a few signings so far this summer after a forgettable 2018/19 campaign.

The signings of Moussa Djenepo, Danny Ings and Che Adams suggest Hasenhuttl had prioritised bolstering his attack, which was certainly the perfect decision after the Saints struggled to score goals this past season.

Now that the Southampton manager has added some much-needed pace, dynamism and verve to his attack, it’s time to shift focus on strengthening the midfield and defence.

The Sea Coast club will have to bring in players who will suit his style and Mateus Uribe could turn out to be a really smart move in the summer.

Uribe may not be the world-class superstar that any Southampton fan wants at the club but the 28-year-old does have qualities to thrive under Hasenhuttl.

He is technically brilliant on the ball and has the ability to play anywhere across the central midfield. The Colombian will slot in perfectly next to either Oriol Romeu or Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or both if the Saints want to line up more defensively.

From a box-to-box role, the 28-year-old would provide a balance between attack and defence and his incredible work-rate and stamina allow him to keep things ticking over. He is also an accurate passer of the ball and can split open the most rigid of defences with his perfectly weighted through-balls.

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With Mario Lemina ready to leave the club this summer after falling out of favour under Hasenhuttl, Southampton would be wise to sign Uribe in order to replace the Gabonese in the squad.

Verdict

The addition of a player of Uribe’s ilk will undoubtedly boost Southampton’s midfield options.

He will be an ideal replacement for Lemina if the Gabonese leaves this summer and will also provide more competition for players such as Hojbjerg, Romeu, James Ward-Prowse and Stuart Armstrong at the St.Mary’s.