Southampton: Dike vs Olayinka – who should Saints sign? | OneFootball

Southampton have been linked with Peter Olayinka and Daryl Dike ahead of the summer window but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Peter Olayinka

According to Premier League.cz, Southampton, Brighton and Aston Villa are all interested in signing the Slavia Prague forward this summer, with the Czech side expected to demand between £6m-£7m for his services.

The Nigerian forward, who features in a wide target man role for Slavia Prague but can also play through the middle, was one of the top performers for Slavia in their impressive run to the Europa League quarter-finals last season, as he contributed three goals and two assists in 11 appearances, averaging a solid 6.92 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also managed six goals and three assists in 24 appearances in the Fortuna Liga, which suggests that he could be a threat for Hasenhuttl’s side next season, especially from an aerial point of view, which is something that the Saints arguably lack in their attack.

Daryl Dike

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton are one of a number of Premier League sides monitoring the Orlando City striker after his superb performance on loan at Barnsley in the Championship last season.

The 21-year-old would contribute a superb nine goals in 21 appearances to help Valerian Ismael’s side secure a playoff finish, so it is no surprise that plenty of Premier League clubs were quick to take notice.

His performances with the Yorkshire side earned him the praise of experienced manager Neil Warnock, who said:

“I think they’ve probably got the best striker in the division in Dike. It’s said they’ve got a £17m buyout, so I would imagine if they go up, they’ll be buying him because he’s been unbelievable when I look at his clips. He scores goals, he’s big, strong and young. He’s got every attribute really.”

Who would be better?

Although Dike’s buyout clause means that he would probably be the more expensive option, he is more of a natural striker than Olayinka and has age on his side.

The USA international looks to have a huge amount of potential, whilst Olayinka may have already hit his peak in the Czech league, so Dike could prove to be a great investment for the future by Southampton.

Therefore, Saints vice-chairman Martin Semmens should forget about Olayinka this summer and instead focus on signing Dike for Hasenhuttl’s side. He scored more this term, has a higher ceiling and is already acclimatised to English football.

This is a no brainer for the Saints hierarchy.

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