Southampton hope Dobbin deal pays off as Sheffield United eye Rabbi Matondo | OneFootball

Southampton’s latest outlay, about £9m on Lewis Dobbin, arrives with optimism and caution after mixed returns on big attacking buys.

According to Sainstmarching.com, Sheffield United are looking at Rabbi Matondo, a move that could upstage Saints’ addition. It frames Southampton’s gamble on Dobbin as scrutiny grows before the Championship kicks off next month.

The club have been burned before, paying a record £22m for Kamaldeen Sulemana in 2022 for only four goals before his 2025 exit to Atalanta. A £19m move for Guido Carillo yielded no goals in 10 appearances.

Dobbin dazzled for Preston North End in 2025/26 with 10 league goals and eight assists, and was previously labelled explosive by his former Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup. With that surge, Aston Villa looked positioned to cash in, and Southampton appear to have stepped up.

The risk is clear, remove his Preston burst and he had only two goals across his previous 27 Championship games. Whether that Lancashire form was lightning in a bottle will be tested on the South Coast next season.

As for Matondo, he is currently with SK Brann, having once commanded £11m from Schalke in 2019 after leaving Manchester City. Since then he has scored in the Bundesliga, the Jupiler Pro League and the Scottish Premiership for Rangers, plus in Champions League qualifying. He has 15 Wales caps and, if a switch to Chris Wilder’s side materialises, it could steal some headlines as United, with Eckert and others, chase a Premier League return.

Source: Sainstmarching.com