Premier League side Southampton have recently been handed a boost in their chase for Italian defender Alessandro Tripaldelli.
TuttoMercatoWeb has recently reported that Tripaldelli will not sign a new deal with Sassuolo, with his current deal set to run out in the summer of 2022. The report claims that the Italian is willing to consider any offers that the Neroverdi get for him. It is stated that the young left-back is looking for a starting berth at the Mapei Stadium-based club but manager Roberto de Zerbi isn’t offering him that.
It is reported that there is no shortage of potential suitors for Tripaldelli with Parma, Torino, Bologna and Levante interested. Southampton have also been linked with a move for the Italian in the past as it was reported some months ago that the Saints had sent scouts to watch Tripaldelli, who reportedly gave positive responses about the left-back.
Should Tripaldelli replace Bertrand in the long-term?
I'd love that
I'd rather keep Bertrand
Tripaldelli has made only three appearances in all competitions for Sassuolo this season. He featured in Serie A games against Atalanta and Inter earlier in the campaign (via Transfermarkt).
TIF Thoughts…
The Saints have Ryan Bertrand as their first-choice option at left-back currently, but the Englishman is now 30 and not getting any younger. He has also been linked with a move to Leicester City in recent weeks.
Tripaldelli, who is valued at £405k, is only 21 and is in search of regular first-team football. He can still very much improve as a footballer and could potentially be a long-term replacement for Bertrand. So it seems plausible that Ralph Hasenhuttl might be interested in signing Tripaldelli in the transfer window.