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Why Southampton signing this 25-year-old Portuguese ace would be a brilliant move by Hughes

Why Southampton should definitely make a move for Joao Mario

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Southampton are interested in making a move for Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario. The Portuguese midfielder has not played a single game in the Serie A this season and is said to be interested in a move.

The report suggests that Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Fulham are also interested in making a move for the player but right now, it seems as though Southampton are the ones who could really use a game-changing central midfielder in their squad.

The Saints have made a dreadful start to their campaign and are very much one of the early favourites to face the drop at the end of the season. Mark Hughes’ men came agonisingly close to being relegated last season and unless the manager further bolsters his squad, the club could be fighting to stay up once again.

Javier Hernandez and Joao Mario

Southampton have won just 1 game so far and have conceded a total of 14 goals in 10 fixtures this season. They have lacked urgency and awareness in the middle of the park. Bringing in the 25-year-old should definitely freshen things up for them.

Joao Mario also has previous experience in the Premier League with the Inter midfielder spending the second half of last season on loan at West Ham United. Though it was not the brightest of spells, Mario did have his moments.

He is comfortable dictating the play in the midfield with his quick passing and ability to drive past players. His directness makes it very hard for defenders to get the ball off him. Joao Mario also tracks back seamlessly to support the defence whenever required. He is very good at reading the play and cutting out incisive passes in the final third.

The midfielder is also a dead-ball specialist and is capable of taking the role as Southampton’s first choice set-piece taker. The midfielder will definitely flourish playing alongside Mario Lemina and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With Lemina ensuring defensive stability, the Portuguese international will have the license to play a free role in the middle of the park.

Read more: Why Southampton beating Tottenham to the signature of this Championship star could be a crucial move

Mark Hughes should definitely make the move for the midfielder at the first chance he gets. Southampton are in dire need of some quality in the middle of the park and adding Joao Mario to their ranks should help them shore things up.