Southampton have been linked with a move for Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie recently and he could be an excellent addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer.
What’s the word?
According to The Sun, Southampton are keen on signing the 26-year-old this summer, although they will likely face competition from Burnley and newly-promoted Norwich City.
It is suggested that his contract with the Scottish Premiership side is set to expire in January, suggesting that they need to cash in on him this summer or risk losing him for free, so Southampton could well complete a bargain swoop for him.
Would he be a good signing?
Christie’s performances with both Celtic and Scotland in recent seasons suggest that he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.
This season saw the attacking midfielder contribute five goals and 11 assists in 34 Premiership appearances, with his performances earning him an impressive 7.33 average rating from WhoScored.
This would rank him as the second-best performer for the Hoops this season, whilst if he has produced the same level of performances with Southampton, then he would comfortably have been their best performer.
The £6.3m-rated midfielder has consistently been one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership in his career, with 40 goals and 41 assists in 142 appearances for Celtic.
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He has also played across the midfield and the attack during his career and given Hasenhuttl’s preference for versatile players at Southampton, he certainly seems like the type of player the Austrian would love to have in his squad.
Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish was full of praise for Christie last season, saying:
“Ryan Christie has been an outstanding performer over the last year or so.”
This suggests that he would be a worthwhile addition at St Mary’s this summer, so Martin Semmens should definitely look to bring him in.
And, in other news… Hasenhuttl can evolve his Saints attack with summer swoop for “unbelievable” star
