Bazunu completes move to the Saints

GAVIN Bazunu has put pen to paper on a deal that sees him move to Southampton from Manchester City on a five-year contract.

The 20-year-old Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper from Firhouse had been strongly tipped for a move to the Saints following the departure of Fraser Forster to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer earlier in the month.

“I’m delighted to be here” Bazunu told the Southampton FC website.

“It’s been in the works for a few weeks and I’m really happy that we’ve got everything over the line, and I’m just excited to see what’s ahead.

“I feel like it’s a place I can come and develop and learn my game.

“The biggest thing is opportunity – the fact that I can come here and have a chance to play regular football.

“Just to be given that opportunity to fight for my place is the biggest thing that I could’ve asked for” he said.

Bazunu, who had signed a four-year deal with City back in 2020, returned to his then parent club following a superb loan spell with League One outfit, Portsmouth that saw him amass 17 clean sheets in 46 appearances.

Bazunu’s former club Shamrock Rovers are also set to benefit from the €14 million move by way of a sell-on clause reportedly worth 15 percent of the deal.

Delighted with the club’s first acquisition of the summer, Southampton manager, Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “As a club, we are always on the lookout for young talent and Gavin is a very exciting addition to the squad.

“We believe he has tremendous potential to improve and will give us great competition for places in the goalkeeping department.

“He is a goalkeeper with a very modern style of play, comfortable in the build-up phase, who has developed physically through some very important loan moves early in his career.

“He is already an international goalkeeper, which is very rare for his age.

“Coming from Manchester City, we know he has learned from some of the very best coaches and team mates, and coming here gives him more opportunities to develop his game through playing in the Premier League” he said.