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Wonderkid's Father Hints Southampton Deal Imminent

Saints could be about to go to Chelsea for their fourth transfer deal of the season if the players Father, who is also his agent is anything to go by, who has suggested talks are already underway.

The player in question if Faustino Anjorin, who also goes by the first name of Tino which could be confusing as his former Chelsea colleague Tino Livramento also shortens his christian name to that moniker.

The new Tino who is only just 20, was born in Poole in Dorset and has been on Chelsea books since age 7, officially signing a year later.

Like many of his fellow Chelsea academy players he has found first team opportunities a little limited, his only first team games for Chelsea coming firstly in the League Cup against Grimsby then in the Premier League just before lockdown in the 2019/20 season, a 19 minute run out as sub against Everton, then in the Champions League when he played 80 minutes against Krasnodar in December 2020 then in the FA Cup, a 10 minute cameo against Morecambe and then 21 minutes against Barnsley, both last season.

Although limited compared to some of his fellow players in the Chelsea academy that almost makes him a first team regular with a grand total of 153 minutes on the pitch.

In September 2021 he joined Lokomotiv Moscow on a season long loan with an option to buy, although he was not a regular starter he played in most of their games in what would turn out to be only a little over two months before suffering a fracture that effectively could end his time in Russia and he could be following his manager in Moscow Ralf Rangnick back to England with Chelsea now set to recall him and transfer him to Saints if the media reports and his father are to be believed.

"Talks are ongoing,” his Father & Agent Sheriff Anjorin said after being asked about Southampton’s interest in his client and son.

"In a few days, you will know everything. There are no other comments.”

So that seems pretty conclusive that he is speaking to Saints, but whether the deal will come to fruition is another matter.

If he does arrive it could suggest a change of tactics for Saints, Anjorin is primarily an attacking midfielder sitting just in front of a midfield two, something that we have rarely seen under Ralph Hasenhuttl, but that could all be about to change, although the youngster can also play out wide usually on the left.

The fee is said to be around the £17 million mark, a drop in the ocean for Chelsea but not that far off Saints record transfer fee paid, this is the type of signing that we can expect to see moving forward under Sport Republic and indeed is the type that we have looked to make in the past.

If this one works as well as the ones that Rasmus Ankersen made at Brentford or indeed as well as the impact that both Tino Livramento and Armando Broja have made at St Mary's there could be exciting times ahead.

Former Chelsea owner Matthew Harding who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 1996 was a big fan of Matthew Le Tissier and once when asked about signing him by a Saints fans wrote a cheque made out to Chelsea On Sea and it looks like that is starting to come true.

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