Hoedt or Wimmer?: A choice of two defenders for Southampton

It has been well documented by Southampton fans this summer that signing a new central defender is necessary if we are to compete for the previous heights they have reached in the last couple of seasons.

With the potential exile of Virgil Vvn Dijk and the sale of Jose Fonte in January, Saints have relied on reserve duo Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens to fill the hole.

With the former being popular with the fans but lacking first-team quality and Stephens showing a lot of potential but lacking experience, the Southampton faithful aren’t best pleased with the current situation in defence and feel like at least one replacement in that position needs to be signed, especially if the van Dijk situation doesn’t go in the club’s favour.

So far this summer two central defenders have been strongly linked with the south-coast club and they go by the names of Kevin Wimmer and Wesley Hoedt.

Wimmer will be known by most Premier League fans due to his current contract being with Tottenham Hotspur, however they may not know him well as the Austrian has only made 15 appearances for the Spurs since his move from Bundesliga outfit FC Koln in the summer of 2015.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 26: Kevin Wimmer of Tottenham Hotspur in action during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on November 26, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

Getting priced out

The 24-year-old was bought for around £4 million but, despite a lack of playing time, has a price-tag of over £20 million which would make him a club-record signing if he was to join Southampton.

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At six-foot-two Wimmer would be a good physical presence for the Saints but I’m unsure of whether a lack of playtime may have affected his qualities.

As for Hoedt, the Dutch defender is currently playing for Serie A side Lazio and was an unused substitute for their Italian Super Cup win over Juventus on Sunday. Since joining the club from boyhood side AZ Alkmaar in 2015, the Netherlands international has made almost 46 appearances for the club and scoring twice in that period.

Despite links with Wimmer, it seems that Hoedt would currently be the more likely to sign of the two as recent reports have stated that Southampton have submitted a bid of around €17 million for the Dutchman’s services.

It definitely seems like Hoedt could be a suitable replacement for van Dijk or could be a suitable partner due to their mutual nationality. His long range passing is incredible, he is able to tackle and intercept passes well and seems like he has the odd goal in him. The 23 year-old is a year younger than Wimmer and is also a foot taller which does make him an exciting prospect, especially with the lower price tag.

However, the services of Wimmer would be appreciated as well by the fans as a quality defender is needed desperately before the closing of the transfer window.

Wimmer has seen his game time limited at Spurs due to falling down the pecking order behind the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderwiereld, and Eric Dier. He is known to be rather comfortable on the ball and, like Hoedt, as an impressive passing range.

With some experience already in the Premier League, if Wimmer was to sign then it shouldn’t take him long to adapt to the league than it would Hoedt, however 15 appearances compared to 46 in the last two seasons doesn’t help but make you think that Hoedt may be the better option due to being more used to playing matches.

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Dan’s verdict

On a personal note, I would go for Hoedt due to his lower price tag, more playing experience of late, his passing capabilities and the extra quality and experience that he may bring to the side due to leaving a big football club for Saints.

But at the end of the day, one of these defenders will making our starting line-up and are likely to dramatically improve the team’s defensive qualities.