Southampton have signed Blackburn Rovers ace Adam Armstrong to fill the void left by Danny Ings who joined Aston Villa.
Blackburn Rovers have confirmed that star striker Adam Armstrong has completed his move to Premier League giants Southampton. Personal terms were agreed yesterday ahead of the medical earlier today. The 24-year-old is now officially a Saint.
Blackburn were satisfied with Southampton’s offer of £15 million, including bonuses, as reported by the Daily Mail. With the ball set rolling on all fronts, it was only a matter of time before the move was finalized.
Ralph Hasehuttl’s side parted ways with ace striker Danny Ings who moved to Aston Villa earlier this month. Last season, the English star was the club’s top scorer, and Armstrong will now be expected to fill that void. The 24-year-old will have to step up his game but has the necessary tools at his disposal to make an impact at St Marys.
Armstrong is an excellent finisher and can hold the ball up well. More so, he also links up well with his fellow teammates and has an eye for a pass. This will make him a key player in Hasenhuttl’s system. He also has a mean shot from a distance and is not shy to let it rip from outside the box.
Here he is! ?#SaintsFC is delighted to confirm the signing of striker @AdamArma9 on a four-year deal from @Rovers:
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 10, 2021
For all his brilliance, Ings was out injured a lot, depriving Southampton of goals in key games. On the other hand, Armstrong is a man of iron and has missed just two games to injury in his three years at Ewood Park. To put it into context, he played in 130 of Blackburn’s 138 Championship games over the last three campaigns.
Even taking away the physical aspect, Armstrong’s numbers from the 2020/21 campaign largely outdoes what Ings managed to do in the same timeframe. He surpassed the now Villa star in goals scored and assists made, and other key areas.
Armstrong made more than twice the shots per game as Ings while also having a better pass completion percentage. He does, however, lag behind the experienced English in one key aspect-aerial prowess. The fact that Armstrong put up the numbers in the Championship, a physically less forgiving league compared to the Premier League speaks volumes of the fight in him.
His accomplishments and numbers become more impressive given he played for a Blackburn side that was largely mid-table. The likes of Jarrod Bowen, James Maddison, and Jack Grealish have shown that one can step up from the Championship to the Premier League, provided they play to their strengths. There is no reason why Armstrong cannot do the same.
Also, in Hasenhuttl, he has someone to keep him grounded. All in all, it is an excellent move by the Saints, who sold off Ings for £30 million while landing Armstrong for half that amount. They might very well have pulled off one of the deals of the summer. This follows the loan signing of promising Chelsea starlet Armando Broja.
