Ramirez capture a sign of intent for Saints

Rumours were abound on Friday suggesting newly promoted Southampton had agreed a fee with Bologna for the signing of young playmaker Gaston Ramirez. This is the same Ramirez that has just turned out for Uruguay at the Olympic Games and had been attracting interest from Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan.

However, it is Saints who look to have pulled off a major coup in bringing in the 21-year-old to St Mary’s Stadium. The winger enjoyed a successful campaign for the Serie A side last year, netting eight times in 32 appearances as Bologna secured a 9^th placed finish. It was these performances that saw a number of European heavyweights linked with a move for the young playmaking midfielder.

Nevertheless, the South-Coast club look to have leapfrogged over their European counterparts in the race for the highly rated midfielder. The capture, if it goes through, would be a real statement of intent by the Premier League new boys, with many tipping them to go down before the season has begun.

However, the capture of Ramirez will greatly assist Saints in their chances of avoiding the drop, along with the acquisitions of Nathanial Clyne, Steven Davis and Jay Rodriguez. His creative influence will aid their pursuit of Premier League survival and reach the golden 40 point mark. Fans will be hoping the club can do a Norwich City or Swansea City, rather than a repeat of Derby County in the 2007/08 season, where the Rams mustered the worst points total in the history of the Premier League.