Pochettino: No bid for Osvaldo

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino has denied the club have made a move for Roma forward Pablo Osvaldo.

Pochettino has worked with the Brazilian in the past after managing him at Espanyol, with reports suggesting that the Premier League club had made a £17 million bid to take him to St Mary’s.

But the 41-year-old refuted that a bid had been made.

“Osvaldo is a great player,” he told tuttomercatoweb.com. “I worked with him at Espanyol so I know what he can do.

“We are aware of his situation at Roma, but we haven’t made an offer.

“We have a clear idea of what our targets should be but the market is moving very slowly at the moment. We are working prudently to reinforce the squad.”

Pochettino also denied rumours that Uruguayan Gaston Ramirez is heading for the exit door, adding: “He’s happy with us and we are counting on him for next season.

“It’s normal that a lot of clubs are interested in his quality, but we don’t listen to transfer rumours. We are planning for next season with him on board.”