Official: Manolo Gabbiadini transfers to Southampton

It’s finally official: Manolo Gabbiadini has transferred from Napoli and joined Southampton, signing a four-and-a-half year deal on transfer deadline day.

His two year stint in Naples officially ended on Tuesday with the signing of that contract, though most fans probably realized this was coming a long time ago. Things never quite clicked between Gabbiadini and manager Maurizio Sarri, and a departure to a side who feels they can make better use of him is probably the best end result for everyone.

Neither team has confirmed the financial side of the deal, but it was reported earlier in the day that the sale was for roughly €18 million with another €3 million available in performance incentives. That’s not a bad figure at all for a player who spent the last 18 months struggling for playing time, especially considering that’s actually slightly more than Napoli spent to sign Leonardi Pavoletti earlier in the month.

Best of luck to you, Manolo. You deserve success, even if it was clear that it wasn’t going to happen in Naples. Go show England just how good you can be.