Southampton may get Downes 2.0 in the “underdog” star.

Southampton fans will be hoping that the home game against Nottingham Forest next weekend will represent the best opportunity for Russell Martin's Saints to pick up their first three points in the Premier League this season.

The South Coast side will have calmed down now after a poor opening game against Newcastle United, which saw Magpies defender Fabian Schar red-carded, but Eddie Howe's men still exited the competition narrowly 1-0 winners.

The Saints manager will be looking at ways to strengthen his team ahead of the many top-flight games to come, the midfielder is on the radar of the newly promoted team.

Southampton target expected to leave

According to Fabrizio Romano, who is an expert on the exchange of players, the star of Royal Antwerp Mandela Keita is expected to leave his employers in Belgium before the closing of the window of exchange of players.

However, Romano has also claimed that Saints are not alone in their interest in the 22-year-old, with Napoli now throwing their hat in the ring for a potential late deal.

We're already seeing bids rejected, just like Romano, it remains to be seen if the South Coast outfit will continue to try to land the in-demand midfielder.

What Keita can offer Southampton

With FBref's model of the same players even comparing Antwerp's gem to that of Flynn Downes, who has been a revelation for Martin's men since he joined last season on loan, such a deal could prove a masterstroke for the Saints.

Getting another player into his formation will undoubtedly strengthen Southampton's midfield, providing good competition to the likes of Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo in the process.

Keita would like to be favored as Downes is now in his new position if he joins, with the Saints delighted that the 25-year-old ace has joined the club permanently this summer from West Ham United.

Downes' composure on the ball under pressure helped Martin's men immensely in the difficult moments around the last Championship campaign, with Southampton's number four always looking at ease when finishing his passes, clocking in with a 93% pass accuracy rate for second-tier collisions. .

Apart from being equally calm and collected with the ball at his feet, as can be seen from the table above, Keita will also be able to give his new team the necessary grit in the middle of the park, which could be crucial. in the midst of a battle against the relegation and promotion of the league.

This was no doubt lacking for the likes of Smallbone at St James' Park, who won just three of their seven games in a tight game, as the home side picked up three points.

Keita, who has played for Barcelona at his current Belgian employers, has been very strong in Jupiler Pro League games, on the other hand, with six of his 11 duels against Club Brugge last week being successful.

Furthermore, with only one pass deflected from his 49 attempts, Keita is now looking for a big move to the Premier League to show his ability in a more testing environment.

Labeled an “underrated” talent previously by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Keita's under-the-radar performance also underpins his similar status to Downes, who may not be familiar to outsiders watching Southampton's promotion-chasing campaign. the importance of that achievement, compared to Adam Armstrong's success at the top among others.

It's clear that Martin wants to recruit more young players in the middle of the park, with Oliver Skipp also on the South Coast team's mind, as Keita could now be the man they want.