Gavin Bazunu set to join Southampton on permanent deal from Man City

Bazunu is set to sign for the Saints.

Gavin Bazunu is on the brink of joining Southampton on a permanent deal from Manchester City, according to multiple reports. The Republic of Ireland international, 20, will have the opportunity to become the Premier League team's number one goalkeeper next season.

Gavin Bazunu signs for Southampton from Man City.

Bazunu has joined the Saints for a fee that could potentially be worth £15m, with £12m guaranteed upfront, according to The Athletic. The 20-year-old looks set to fight it out with Alex McCarthy to be Southampton's number one goalkeeper next season. Ralph Hasenhuttl's team did not have an undisputed number goalkeeper last season. McCarthy and Fraser Forster, who has since joined Tottenham Hotspur, shared the starting spot across the campaign. Bazunu spent last season on loan with Portsmouth and made 44 appearances for the club. The former Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper was named the team's player of the year. https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1537106068656070656 Bazunu has also caught the eye with a string of impressive performances for Ireland, including saving a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo in a World Cup qualifier last September. The 20-year-old is rated highly by Man City, who signed him from Shamrock Rovers for a fee worth a reported €500,000 in 2019. Bazunu's path to the first team, however, was blocked by Ederson, the Brazilian goalkeeper considered to be among the best in the world in his position. Man City have included a buy-back option in the deal, according to reports, so it is possible that Bazunu returns to Pep Guardiola's team at some stage over the next few years.

Gavin Bazunu transfer nets Shamrock Rovers a nice windfall.

Bazunu's former club Shamrock Rovers are said to be in line to profit from his move to Southampton. Rovers wisely included a sell-on clause when selling the player to Man City and are in line to receive a 'six-figure sum', according to The Irish Mirror. Bazunu, who has won 10 caps for Ireland, never started a first-team game for Man City and spent the last two seasons on loan with Rochdale and Portsmouth respectively. https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1537096589281468418