Southampton completed the high-profile signing of Pablo Osvaldo late last night, landing the Italy international on a four-year deal for a club-record fee believed to be worth an initial £12.9m.
Osvaldo arrives on South Coast with a reputation for the unpredictable, with the Azzurri striker capable of producing inspired performances and moments of madness in equal measure.
With Saints fans excitedly awaiting the arrival of a man who resembles Kahl Drogo from Game of Thrones, let's take a closer look at the volatile, but supremely talented forward with a difference.
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In two seasons in Serie A the 27-year-old has consistently found the net, but negative headlines have also followed with similar regularity. Osvaldo is primarily a lone forward, but has operated as a secondary striker and on the left on a three-man attack in the past.
Osvaldo looked quite brilliant at times during Zdenek Zeman's ill-fated spell in charge at the Stadio Olimpico last season. Flanked by Francesco Totti and Erik Lamela, the Argentina-born striker excelled, using strength and an assured touch to bring others into play.
Osvaldo is not frightened to shoot from any angle, proven with 16 goals in Serie A in 29 appearances last season. Saints will also get a further aerial presence to match Rickie Lambert's prowess in the penalty area, with Osvaldo regularly evading markers with a huge leap and intelligent positioning in the box.
Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino has produced a serious statement by securing Osvaldo's signature, but may have also created a problem. His Saints side have looked settled during pre-season, with Lambert the focal point of a fluid approach flanked by Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana in the final third. With Lambert in the form of his life, is it wise to disrupt that rhythm by bringing in a striker with a proven track record of aggression when things are not going his way?
Pochettino knows what he has taken on board, though, having previously worked with Osvaldo at Espanyol. It was in Spain that Osvaldo finally began to find a consistent approach to match his talent, scoring 13 goals in 24 appearances during the 2010-11 La Liga campaign. It will require astute man-management to keep the forward motivated at St Mary's, particularly if their season drifts out to an unappealing mid-table battle. Goals with a temperament, a risk that sounds worth taking so far right? Let's briefly run you through the bad that has stopped Osvaldo becoming a truly elite striker.
Last season typified the attitude issues that Osvaldo has rightly or wrongly become associated with. Most notably the forward once punched Lamela for failing to pass across goal at Udinese two season ago, earning a 10-day suspension and a huge fine from an exasperated Roma hierarchy. The forward then quickly grew tired of caretaker Roma coach Aurelio Andreazzoli's methods in the winter, finding himself out of the team for speaking out as a result.
The talisman was continually a substitute despite the efforts of Totti to act as peacemaker, even missing out on the starting XI when the Giallorossi faced Lazio in the Coppa Italia final. When defeat followed, Osvaldo angrily confronted Andreazzoli before using Twitter to blast the coach as incompetent and a loser. His actions earned a fierce response from Roma's Ultra and a dressing down from Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who left him out of the Confederations Cup this summer for his behaviour.
Osvaldo can also definitely be filed under eccentric after regularly driving round Rome in a blue and white customised mini convertible. Normally this tribute to Diego Maradona would not be a problem, but in a city where your main rivals Lazio wear the same colours, it has to be viewed as a misguided decision at best.
For all his misgivings one thing Saints can fans can pretty much be sure of is goals. The stats do not lie where Osvaldo is concerned, with 28 goals in 57 appearances for Roma, averaging a goal every other game.
All things considered this has to be a gamble worth taking for Saints, who have signed a proven goalscorer who easily rivals the likes of Mario Balotelli and Nicklas Bendtner in terms of self-belief. Massaging his considerable ego is a challenge Pochettino is clearly confident of mastering. The move also smacks of ambition from a club on the rise, with Saints breaking their transfer record for the second time this summer. If the Spaniard can find a system to integrate Osvaldo and Lambert without compromising an efficient midfield featuring Victor Wanyama, then Saints look well set to challenge for a top-10 finish this season.
Liam Power
