Italian striker Gabbiadini last night completed a deadline-day switch from Napoli, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal at St Mary’s.



He explained that former Saints forward Pellè, who played for the club from 2014 until 2016, had helped persuade him that the south coast would be a good fit.



Asked what had attracted him to the club, Gabbiadini said: "The great determination that Southampton had to purchase me from day one, and all the things that Graziano Pellè, who was my former teammate in the national team, told me about Southampton.



"I spoke a lot of times with him in the national team and he suggested to me that it was a place to absolutely come and he's happy for me now that I have made this decision.”



Gabbiadini was keen not to speak too much about his own qualities, though, instead explaining that he wants his work on the pitch to do the talking for him.



"I would rather not speak about myself, because I am not in the habit of talking about my qualities, so I would prefer that it will be on the basis of seeing me on the pitch that the fans will judge me,” he said.