Southampton have been linked with a move for AC Milan ace Jens Petter Hauge recently and if he were to make the move to St Mary’s this summer, it could be bad news for Moussa Djenepo in relation to his future in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, Southampton and Udinese are both keen on signing the 21-year-old, who has been frozen out of Stefano Pioli’s side since the turn of the year.
Hauge only made the move to the San Siro in October 2020 and enjoyed a superb start to life in Italy, contributing three goals and one assist in just five Europa League appearances for I Rossoneri, averaging an excellent 7.27 rating for his performances.
However, he has been limited to just three starts in Serie A, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, despite him finding the back of the net twice in the Italian top-flight.
Who would you rather have at Southampton?
Djenepo
Hauge
His performances this season have already earned him comparisons to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi from some AC Milan fans, so they may not be too happy to see him leave the club for Southampton this summer, even if it is on loan.
Therefore, it seems clear that Hauge has a lot of talent and would be a good addition to Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, although it could cast doubt on the future of Djenepo.
The Mali international has struggled since joining from Standard Liege in the summer of 2019, with just four goals and two assists to his name in 49 appearances in all competitions.
Despite being labelled “super-talented” by Nathan Redmond after an impressive solo goal against Sheffield United, the young winger has been far too inconsistent during his time at St Mary’s and will almost certainly be considered a flop unless his performances drastically improve next season.
Therefore, the added competition that Hauge would bring would likely see Djenepo lose his starting spot in Hasenhuttl’s side, as his return of one goal and no assists in 25 Premier League appearances this season is far from good enough.
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