Gabbiadini is great, but where are Southampton’s failed foreign transfers now?

Southampton has once again struck gold with some tidy transfer business with the arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini, who has five goals in three games, but it hasn’t always been so smooth sailing for the club’s foreign transfers. And that got St Mary’s Musings wondering where the players are that it didn’t work out for since our return to the Premier League in 2012.

Emmanuel Mayuka

Mayuka left Southampton in August 2015 after 16 goalless league appearances and a season-long loan at Sochaux for FC Metz, where, surprise, surprise, it didn’t work out. The 26-year-old — that was a shock to find out — is currently a striker for Egyptian side Zamalek and recently dispelled rumours that his contract had been terminated after he went AWOL. Though the conclusion to that story is a bit muddled just like his time on the South Coast was a bit [expletive-deleted]…

Vegard Forren

The Norwegian centre back, reportedly linked Liverpool and Everton at the time (we’re just as baffled), made exactly zero appearances during his six-month spell at Southampton. Despite “wanting to fight for his place”, he returned to former club Molde the following summer and the wounds are still deep.

Forren is currently unattached after his contract expired at the start of January if Saints want to jog down that road again, as, according to the Telegraph, the centre half position is our top priority. Hope they didn’t burn their feet with that one.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Gaston Ramirez

It sort of worked, but not for his £12m price tag, which at the time was a club record fee. Ramirez scored eight goals and somehow managed 55 total appearances over four seasons, despite numerous injuries. He’s now at Middlesbrough, where he spent the final part of the 2015/16 season on loan. Ramirez has definitely revived his career on Teeside, but in January, he demanded a move to Leicester. It never happened.

Whilst Ramirez should be remembered for coming back from the dead to assist Sadio Mane for the equalising goal at Anfield, we, however, would like to remember him for something after his time at Southampton -- his thirst for sliding into those pesky DMs. Always a man for the dramatics.

Oh, the tight braids were also a “no go”.

Dani Osvaldo

Boy, what a signing. Osvaldo delivered two of the most memorable strikes; the first, a stunner against Manchester City, and the second against Jose Fonte’s cheek in a training ground brush-up.

Following a trio of loan spells at Juventus, Inter Milan and Boca Juniors, Osvaldo made a short cameo for Porto before returning to Argentina permanently. Fast forward eight months and he announced his retirement from football to focus on his music career. His music career.

The Captain Jack Sparrow look-a-like finished his Southampton career with three goals, a £40,000 fine and three-game ban, and bruised knuckles. Memories for the scrapbook!

Juanmi

Juanmi has found his form back in his home country for Real Sociedad where he’s turning in the goals -- probably because he’s being played in his proper position. So we’re glad to see his short stay at Southampton didn’t hinder him too much.

Best of the rest (loanees): Saphir Taider (did he even make the FIFA update?) and Filip Djuricic (he had a fun name to say at least).

Did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments or via Twitter (@StMarysMusings).