Saints Marching
Fansided

Southampton: What next for Jordy Clasie?

By Joseph Wyeth

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Jordy Clasie of Southampton celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the EFL Cup quarter final match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on November 30, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Jordy Clasie of Southampton celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the EFL Cup quarter final match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on November 30, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie has had a hit-and-miss career in his time on the South Coast, spending the last season on loan at recently crowned Belgian champions Club Brugge, but what next for the diminutive Dutchman?

Initially brought to the club at a cost of £8,000,000 by Ronald Koeman, who helped launch his professional career with Dutch giants Feyenoord, Clasie fell out of favour with some less than convincing performances in the Premier League, as well as some apparent fitness issues, leading to questions about his ability to adapt to the famously physical nature of the English game.

He also found minutes hard to come by under now Leicester City manager Claude Puel, before being allowed to leave on loan to Belgium for the season having been placed on the transfer list by Puel’s successor, ex-Liverpool defender Mauricio Pellegrino.

His spell at Club Brugge was mixed in success, playing 25 times across all competitions in his season at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Speaking to Dutch national newspaper De Telegraaf, the 27-year-old recently shed light on his future plans, stating:

"“In principle I return to Southampton. My contract runs for another two years. I will talk to my wife and my agent about what we are going to do next season. It is still open for me now”,"

He also spoke of his pride after winning Belgium’s national league play-off:

"“It’s a beautiful day. I have been in professional football for almost ten years and I have never won a prize. This is something that not many people have been given in their careers. It would have been even better if I had played this game, but I certainly had my share this season.”"

Next: Southampton 2017/18 season review: Gabbiadini

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 02: Jordy Clasie of Southampton in action during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Southampton and FC Augsburg at St Mary’s Stadium on August 2, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 02: Jordy Clasie of Southampton in action during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Southampton and FC Augsburg at St Mary’s Stadium on August 2, 2017 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images) /

So what next for the tenacious midfielder? His contract still runs until 2020, and he will be returning to a vastly different atmosphere to the one he left in August.

More from Saints Marching

His largely anonymous season in Brugge has hardly staked a claim for returning to first team contention however, and with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg showing true character in Saint’s recent successful battle against relegation.

Talent such as Mario Lemina, Oriol Romeu and academy product (and England international) James Ward-Prowse are all vying for a place in Saint’s midfield, it remains to be seen whether the player who featured in Holland’s 2014 World Cup squad will be able to, or even given the opportunity, to break back into the first team.

The only realistic opportunity for the midfielder could potentially come with Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis now entering the final year of his contract at the club.

The ex-Rangers man has struggled for fitness, missing the end of the season through injury, and at 33 years of age the club may look at younger alternatives. It’s also worth noting that Clasie’s mentor Koeman is now at the helm of the Dutch national team, and with time on his side, the Haarlem-born player has an opportunity to add to his 17 existing caps if he can impress at club level whether at Southampton or otherwise.