‘Ivan Juric to raid Southampton after relegation as Sulemana talks open’
Ivan Juric is looking to take full advantage of Southampton’s relegation by poaching Kamaldeen Sulemana for his new team.
The 23-year-old joined from Rennes in Ligue 1 in January 2023 for a then-record fee of £22million [BBC Sport].
Since arriving at St. Mary’s, Sulemana has shown flashes of his talent without ever fully realising his true potential.
However, the same can be said for several young prospects at Southampton, including Man City target Tyler Dibling.
Under the stewardship of new Rangers boss Russell Martin and Juric last season, the Saints broke the record for the earliest a team has ever been relegated from the Premier League, doing so with seven games remaining.
But despite being sacked by the club, the Croatian manager is looking to add Sulemana to his new side Atalanta this summer, according to Italian Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
Atalanta open talks to sign Kamaldeen Sulemana
Following the departure of Gian Piero Gasperini to Roma this summer, Atalanta hired Juric to replace their departing head coach.
And according to the report from Di Marzio, one of the Croatian boss’ first orders of business will be adding Sulemana to his squad.
Under Juric, the former Rennes man scored twice and assisted two more, whereas under Martin and interim boss Simon Rusk, the 23-year-old managed just one assist and no goals.
Contact is “underway between the parties” and the Ghanaian winger is a target for Atalanta this summer.
Southampton rebuild to be funded with sale of young talent
Football Insider Verdict
Whilst fellow relegation sufferers Leicester and Ipswich may struggle to build their transfer kitty through sales, Southampton are unlikely to face the same issues.
Despite performing miserably as a collective, there are several pieces of the South Coast side’s squad that will interest Europe’s elite.
Dibling is the standout, and Sulemana’s weaving runs and tidy dribbling make him an exciting proposition for many teams.
But Southampton also have Aaron Ramsdale, just a few years removed from being Arsenal’s first-choice, while Mateus Fernandes has interest from several Premier League clubs.
Relegation is a tough blow, not only emotionally, but financially. However, the Saints are well placed to rebuild under new boss Will Still and with a boosted transfer budget, the club should have no issues securing transfer targets ahead of their Championship rivals.