Jordy Clasie reportedly leaving Southampton in loan move to Club Brugge
By Ben King
Jordy Clasie is set to be the eighth departure from the Saints this season as the player undergoes a medical to complete a move to the Belgian club.
The news came earlier this afternoon as Mikos Gouka for Dutch newspaper AD Sportswereld stated the 26-year-old midfielder’s situation.
Clasie joined Southampton in 2015 in an £8 million move from current Eredivisie champions Feyenoord.
The Dutch midfielder was a big part of Ronald Koeman’s plans when he brought his fellow countryman to England. However, Clasie was in and out of Claude Puel’s system and hasn’t featured in any of current manager Mauricio Pellegrino’s squads so far this season with the Argentine clearly willing to let him go.
In what is now a packed position for Southampton at the heart of midfield, Clasie has moved down the pecking order behind Oriol Romeu, Steven Davis, Pierre-Emile Hojberg and recently signed Mario Lemina.
This is a great chance for Clasie to gain much needed game time in a league that isn’t as advanced compared to the Premier League. Club Brugge have got off to a great start in the Belgian Pro League with a 100% win rate after five games despite losing their Europa League play-off tie against AEK Athens.
However, if a move to Belgium isn’t quite ambitious enough for the defensive-minded midfielder, then it’s also been reported that a handful of fellow Premier League are keen to sign the Dutchman. This comes are links to Italy and Lazio have cooled off as of late.
This deal could work for all parties and I wouldn’t write off Clasie coming back into the fold at St. Mary’s if he makes an impression in Belgium.