2 players that should have left Southampton in January

Shane Long

Manolo Gabbiadini’s £14 million move from Napoli may have made the future of striker Shane Long even more uncertain.

The Republic of Ireland international lost his place to Charlie Austin after a sluggish start to the Premier League season, while Jay Rodriguez has often got the nod ahead of him following Austin’s injury back in December.

Add in that Nathan Redmond has played in a more advanced role this term, and it’s difficult to see where Long’s next run of games will come, despite scoring goals in his last six games.

The 30-year-old was linked with a move to West Brom, West Ham, and even Liverpool in last month’s transfer window, and with squad rotation less of a priority now for Puel, with just the League Cup final and Premier League fixtures remaining, it was slightly surprising to see Long remain at St Mary’s, especially given Gabbiadini’s arrival.