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Southampton to offload club-record Osvaldo

ESPN staff
July 22, 2014
Dani Osvaldo managed three goals in 13 appearances for Southampton last season © Getty Images
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Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has admitted the club are trying to offload Dani Osvaldo after the troubled striker failed to return for pre-season training.

Osvaldo, who joined Southampton for a club-record £15m in August 2013, looks to have finally burnt his bridges with the club after a difficult time at St Mary's.

Osvaldo scored three times in 13 appearances for Southampton last season before he was sent out on loan in January after a training-ground fight with team-mate Jose Fonte. That followed a three-match ban and a £40,000 fine for his involvement in a scuffle against Newcastle earlier in the same month.

"It was a difficult situation for him to come back to," Koeman told BBC Radio Solent. "He was too late.

"The decision of the board was to allow him not to come back. We have to look for opportunities for him to play in a different team."

If he is sold, Osvaldo - who is understood to be a target for Inter Milan and Galatasaray - would join the likes of Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana in leaving Southampton this summer.

Defender Dejan Lovren also looks likely to leave St Mary's and Koeman has pleaded with the fans to be patient as he attempts to rebuild the squad.

"We are working on it," he said. "Our job is to be prepared if someone leaves the club.

"The board knows we need new players. There is no need to hurry. We have a good squad but we would like better players to be competitive."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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