Inter Milan move to cut-short Dani Osvaldo’s Southampton stay

Southampton knew what they were taking on when they handed over €15m to Roma for striker Dani Osvaldo during the summer and the Italy international’s Premier League career could be over after an altercation with teammate Jose Fonte.

Inter Milan are thought to be readying a move for the 28-year-old, who’s been suspended for two weeks following a training ground bust-up with Fonte which is understood to have left the Portuguese bruised and bleeding.

The Saints should get on fine without Osvaldo – who has only managed three goals in 13 games since his summer switch from the Eternal City – when Yeovil visit St Mary’s in the FA Cup fourth round.

Boss Mauricio Pochettino went with Rickie Lambert up front on his own against Burnley in the last round and although Southampton gave up a two-goal lead at the start of the second half, they eventually ran out deserved 4-3 winners.

Yeovil may have pulled off arguably the greatest FA Cup fourth-round shock of all time in 1949 when beating Sunderland, who were one place lower in the league ladder than Southampton currently sit, but Gary Johnson’s relegation-threatened outfit will do well to avoid a hiding at St Mary’s.

Only three teams have beaten the Saints on their own patch this term and none of them won by more than a single goal, while quadruple chasing Manchester City could only manage a draw in their Premier League clash.

The Osvaldo/Fonte saga shouldn’t prove too much of a distraction for the Saints and they are taken to overcome a one-goal handicap at odds of 3/4 against the Glovers, who’ve lost two of their last three Championship away matches by at least a pair of strikes.

This incident wasn’t the first time the striker dubbed ‘The Pirate’ has lost his temper with a colleague, as Spurs misfit Erik Lamela knows only too well.

Lamela copped a punch in the face from his fellow Argentina native for not passing the ball in Roma’s 2-0 loss at Udinese in 2011 and Osvaldo was sent off four times in his two seasons at the Stadio Olimpico.

However, he also hit 27 Serie A goals during his time at Roma and broke into Cesare Prandelli’s Italy side, scoring four goals in 12 games for the Azzurri since.

This has prompted Inter, who have been over reliant on 10-goal top-scorer Rodrigo Palacio in Serie A this term, to take advantage of Osvaldo’s Southampton situation, with the Nerrazurri thought to be preparing a €10m bid.

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