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OPINION: Southampton’s young transfer targets are NOT unambitious

By Chris Hughes

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: Oriol Romeu of Southampton (14) celebrates as he scores their first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on April 25, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: Oriol Romeu of Southampton (14) celebrates as he scores their first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on April 25, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Having previously been linked with the some big names, the most recent Southampton transfer rumours have surrounded up-and-coming talents. But that isn’t a bad thing.

Having been linked with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Ruben Semedo and even Anthony Modeste, Southampton’s transfer talk has taken a sharp turn, with lesser-known and younger talents linked with joining the Saints.

Instead the club are now reportedly interested in teenager Trevor Clarke and Norwich’s Jacob Murphy, whilst a deal for Jan Bednarek could seemingly be done as soon as the weekend.

Now these will no doubt not be the Saints’ only acquisitions this summer should they recruit all three, with a couple of marquee additions needed even if the big-name players don’t leave.

However some fans have suggested that these links are unambitious and that Bednarek is not a suitable ‘replacement’ for van Dijk, especially as Leicester recently splurged £17 million on Harry Maguire.

TYCHY, POLAND – JUNE 27: Jacob Murphy of England and Marc-Oliver Kempf of Germany during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Semi Final match between England and Germany at Tychy Stadium on June 27, 2017 in Tychy, Poland. (Photo by Lukasz Szelag/Getty Images)
TYCHY, POLAND – JUNE 27: Jacob Murphy of England and Marc-Oliver Kempf of Germany during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Semi Final match between England and Germany at Tychy Stadium on June 27, 2017 in Tychy, Poland. (Photo by Lukasz Szelag/Getty Images) /

But Southampton’s links to lesser-known and young talents are in fact the opposite. It shows that despite reaching the Europa League and cementing their top-half status they are still planning for the long-term future.

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It’s also become the ‘Southampton Way’ to unearth hidden gems from within the cracks of both English and European football, something Saints fans should want after the failure of former Barcelona man Martin Caceres.

As a fourth-choice centre-back behind VVD, Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida, Bednarek seems a perfect hit. He’s 21 and has potential without coming from a league that should guarantee a starting spot. He’ll likely have a back-seat role without too much game time to begin with, something he probably won’t complain about.

Southampton’s failure to act quickly has seen them lose out on some reported targets, but as with the Saints it’s always the lesser-reported players who the club seem to snap up.

Bigger transfers will come this summer as the club to move but you cannot have a problem with their links to the younger talent as it only sets the club up in the long run.