Premier League outfit Southampton are reportedly among the clubs interested in the services of FC Basel’s 23-year-old striker Arthur Cabral.
According to UOL, Southampton are one of several clubs keeping close tabs on Arthur Cabral. The 23-year-old FC Basel forward has become one of the most in-demand players in Europe thanks to his explosive performances in the Swiss top-flight and could soon be on the verge of a move to a bigger club.
Formerly of Palmeiras, Cabral initially joined Basel in 2019 on a season-long loan deal. He made quite an impression in his debut campaign in Switzerland, netting 14 goals in 26 league matches. It tempted Basel to make the move permanent last summer, for a fee of €6 million.
The move has paid off wonderfully for the Swiss giants, with the forward turning out to be a major success since. During his ongoing two and a half year spell at Basel, the Brazilian striker has featured in 99 competitive matches, boasting a phenomenal tally of 61 goals and 17 assists.
A chunk of his goals have come in the new season, with Cabral attaining a record of 13 goals in 13 league matches. The 23-year-old is already the undisputed leader of the scoring charts in the Swiss Super League, and thanks to his performance, he has now attracted the interest of Southampton.
The Saints are currently in the market for a new forward as they have struggled with a lack of productivity this season. One of Southampton’s main forwards in Che Adams has netted only one goal while summer signing Adam Armstrong has scored twice, leading to a goalscoring crisis for Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Southampton are prepared to address this issue by signing a new forward in the upcoming January transfer window. They are one of the clubs in contention to sign Nigerian star Paul Onuachu, but they could face stiff competition from a host of Premier League rivals.
As a result, Southampton are now eyeing a move for Cabral. The Brazilian, though, is also courted by a host of clubs across Europe, with Bayer Leverkusen even initiating contact with the Basel striker recently while Benfica, FC Porto and Fiorentina are all keeping close tabs.
Hence, it could be a major challenge for Southampton to land Arthur Cabral in the upcoming January transfer window, and given their lack of sporting success, it won’t be surprising to see them miss out on the Brazilian forward completely.
