Southampton are in talks to sign Canadian international Cyle Larin to replace Adam Armstrong. Armstrong is heading to Wolves for a fee worth an initial £7m – a price tag first reported by the Lower Tiers earlier this week. Is Larin the man the Saints need, or is this another step in the wrong direction? […]
Southampton are in talks to sign Canadian international Cyle Larin to replace Adam Armstrong.
Armstrong is heading to Wolves for a fee worth an initial £7m – a price tag first reported by the Lower Tiers earlier this week.
Is Larin the man the Saints need, or is this another step in the wrong direction?
Southampton are in talks to sign Canadian striker Cyle Larin, 30, who is on loan at Feyenoord from Mallorca, as a replacement, reports Jack Rosser.
This comes after Wolverhampton Wanderers agreed a deal worth a total of £9m with the Saints to sign Adam Armstrong.
The deal being discussed for Southampton to sign Larin will be a loan, after the Canadian’s dismal spell at Feyenoord, where he featured 15 times and scored just once.
It is a bold move for Southampton Sporting Director Johannes Spors to let club top scorer Armstrong go midway through the season, so the replacement must be spot on.
The 30-year-old Canada international will be looking to rediscover some form if he heads to Southampton. The striker will be in the frame to make Canada’s final 26-man squad, being picked by Canadian boss Jesse Marsch.
In his most recent outing for Feyenoord, on Thursday, where he started for the Dutch club against Real Betis, Larin had a total of four big chances and a total xG of 1.37.
The Saints will be hoping that Larin, a six-foot-two forward who is more of a focal point for a football side, will be able to deliver the output of goals that Armstrong did.
With 7 goals in the Spanish first division, La Liga, last season, and top scorer in the Turkish Lig in 2020/21 for Beşiktaş, Larin is clearly capable, but many players tend to struggle when switching to English football.
Bringing in a 30-year-old who has generally struggled for form in Europe, replacing somebody capable in the Championship, is another strange move by Sport Republic.
Southampton fans have come to expect this rash decision making, but the club clearly feel the time is now to cash in on a player who took the club up from the Championship at Wembley in 2024.
An injury to Ross Stewart would leave Southampton with Cameron Archer and an unknown quantity in Larin as the only options up front.
When Saints boss Tonda Eckert was asked if he is confident that the club will come out of the window in a better place than they went into it, the German said:
“Yes. I’m very confident that the club will take the right decisions.”
Eckert should feel rather let down now.
