Southampton need more ambition than Tom Cairney and Chris Wood
By Chris Hughes
This week sources have credited the Saints with Fulham’s Tom Cairney and Leeds’ Chris Wood – but do the rumours lack drive?
Last week Southampton were credited with reported interest in the likes of Bruma and Kelechi Iheanacho, but this time around the south coast outfit have found themselves linked with a duo of Championship players.
Those in question are attacking midfielder Tom Cairney and striker Chris Wood, who play for Fulham and Leeds respectively. The former have been knocked out in the semi-finals of the playoffs, whilst Gary Monk’s side failed to reach the threshold entirely.
The league may be one of the most competitive and wealthy second divisions in European football, but that doesn’t mean that the two rumours don’t lack ambition from the club’s point of view.
One of the main reasons for Claude Puel’s potential departure is the lack of faith fans have that he can take the club forward – but signing players from the second tier is a sideways step in it’s own right.
Now all rumours have to be taken with a pinch of salt in today’s media, but the sheer fact that Southampton are credited with an interest in said players speaks for itself.
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Despite scoring 30 goals in all competitions this campaign Chris Wood as never really made an impact at the top level of English football when given the opportunity, and has therefore seen his career filled with short-term loan spells in League One and the Championship.
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Before joining Leeds two years ago the striker’s goal-to-game ratio was fairly poor, and even now it still reads at a goal every three games in the second-tier.
If Wood, 25, was available for within the region of £10 million then maybe it would be an option, but the fee discussed for the target man? £20 million plus.
Meanwhile Tom Cairney, who has 12 league goals this season, is another player below the caliber Saints should aspire for. The other teams linked with him are a promoted Newcastle, and a West Ham side who’s transfer success last summer was relatively sub-par.
Considering the Saints have been linked with the good European talent and even fellow Premier League stars, the potential scouting of these two is below the club’s target ambition.
Signing from the Championship is all well and good if they have potential, but neither of these two has more than two years before ending their prime, suggesting relatively little room to grow into much better footballers.