Football News : Southampton secure Rodriguez signature

By
ESPN staff

Southampton have completed the signing of striker Jay Rodriguez from Burnley for a "substantial" undisclosed fee.

GettyImagesJay Rodriguez has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season

• Rodriguez for £7 million

The England Under-21 international, 22, was Burnley's top scorer in the Championship last season but joins Southampton after they won automatic promotion to the Premier League.

While the transfer fee remains undisclosed, it has been widely quoted at around £7 million - which would be a club transfer record.

Rodriguez notched 41 goals in 128 career appearances fo r the Clarets but is looking forward to settling in on the South Coast - former Burnley team-mates Jack Cork and Danny Fox are already part of the squad at St Mary's.

"This is a great club, a massive club, and they're where they belong. It's a squad I want to be a part of, and it's really exciting," Rodriguez said. "As an outsider, you look at the club from where it started, and the drive they have to move up the leagues in quick succession is amazing.

"The sky is the limit. You see how good the players are at the club. They want to push on even higher, and carry on the way they're going."

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins believes Rodriguez will offer something different in attack for the Saints, who predominantly relied on Rickie Lambert for goals during their promotion-winning campaign in the Championship.

"Jay is an exciting young English prospect, so I am really happy he is our first signing of the summer," Adkins said. "There has been a lot of ha rd work going on behind the scenes on several fronts and we are delighted Jay has signed us as we get ready for our pre-season schedule.

"He is an exciting forward thinking player who has already scored a lot of goals at a young age over the past couple of years. His characteristics are what we have been looking for."