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According to an exclusive from TEAMTalk, Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton have asked Juventus about starlet striker and Englishman Stephy Mavididi.

What's the word, then?

The report claims that the Saints are one of nine clubs to have enquired about taking the 21-year-old on loan for the 2019/2020 campaign.

The others - Everton, Newcastle United, Burnley, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Derby County, Fulham and Middlesbrough - all hail from either the Premier League or the Championship.

Mavididi started his career with Arsenal back in his native land enjoying loans at Preston North End and Charlton Athletic twice as he progressed through the ranks before the Old Lady came calling last summer to take him to Italy on a permanent basis. He has made 18 appearances for England youth in the under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-20 sides.

Ideal for Hasenhuttl's style

Ever since Hasenhuttl took over at St Mary's just before the turn of the year, the Saints' style of play has transformed into an exciting, high-pressing one.

The Austrian must look for players who fit into that ideology this summer and Mavididi is ideal in this regard, having been subjected to the Juve philosophy for a whole season now.

The Italian giants were one of the original teams to use this pressing preference and it's something they still do to great effect today, with their strikers being taught to strangle the defenders.

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But you can do well what the manager tells you to as much as you want but if you don't have the quality and the pedigree, then it's pointless.

And that's perhaps the major concern over the attacking hotshot. Would he really be able to challenge Danny Ings to start up front having only netted six times in Serie C for his current club's under-23s last term?

Well, Max Allegri did see fair to give Mavididi his senior Juventus debut at the back end of the 2018/2019 campaign and if it turns out that he's not good enough for the Premier League, then the Saints will have lost nothing with Mavididi only on loan until the end of the season.