Southampton seals Gabbiadini signing for reported £14.6M

Southampton has given Manolo Gabbiadini a chance to shine.

The Saints signed and sealed a deal to take the sparsely used 25-year-old from Napoli on a four-and-a-half-year contract Tuesday.

The transfer is worth an initial £14.6-million fee which could reach £17.2 million if Gabbiadini meets certain performance-related targets, according to the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano.

The up-front payment falls short of Southampton's club-record £16-million layout for Moroccan Sofiane Boufal.

"I am very, very happy. Since I was a kid, one of my dreams was to perform in one of the biggest leagues in the world, so now that it's happening I can't wait to start playing," Gabbiadini told the club's official website.

The Italy forward will ease Southampton's goal-scoring burden, especially in the absence of injured striker Charlie Austin, who's not expected to return from a dislocated shoulder for another three months.

Playing time was difficult to get in Naples, even after summer signing Arkadiusz Milik suffered an ACL injury.

Manager Maurizio Sarri instead relied on winger Dries Mertens once Milik dropped out of the lineup, and the Belgium international ended up thriving in a false-nine role as Gabbiadini made the majority of his appearances off the bench.

The arrival of Leonardo Pavoletti appeared to push Gabbiadini completely out of the picture.

The former Sampdoria hitman scored just three goals in 13 Serie A outings this season.