Saints Marching
Fansided

Southampton: Could Reed and McQueen leave St Mary’s?

By Marc Walker

GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS - JULY 30: Harrison Reed of Southampton runs with the ball during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS - JULY 30: Harrison Reed of Southampton runs with the ball during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Southampton youth products Harrison Reed and Sam McQueen could leave the club this summer if the club receive suitable offers for the pair.

Both players are coming  to a stage in their career where they will want to be playing regularly and making progress rather than sitting on the Southampton bench.

Last season, Reed made quite an impression during a loan spell at Norwich City. He made 43 appearances in all competitions for the Canaries and showed good versatility when fielded at Right-Back and Right-Midfield as well as his normal Central-Midfield role.

According to the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich would be keen on signing the 23-year-old permanently in this transfer window but would face competition for his signature from Sheffield Wednesday.

McQueen spent 2017/18 in the Saints squad and made nine appearances for the first-team. However, he only started one of those games; the 0-0 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford in December.

An exclusive from Teamtalk reveals that Bristol City are looking to bring him in to replace Left-Back Joe Bryan, who is understood to be moving to Premier League side Burnley.

Next: Southampton linked with Lyon's Mouctar Diakhaby

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 30: Juan Mata of Manchester United and Sam McQueen of Southampton battle for possession during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on December 30, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 30: Juan Mata of Manchester United and Sam McQueen of Southampton battle for possession during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on December 30, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /

More from Saints Marching

Reed and McQueen have made 30 and 29 senior appearances for Southampton since joining the first-team set-up, but have also endured frustrating spells with the club’s u23s side when opportunities have not been on offer.

As two graduates from the Saints’ youth academy, they clearly have the talent to make a career in the game but minimal roles in the squad may force them to pursue other options.

Reed in particular is a talented midfielder. Last season, he recorded a pass completion of 88% and this saw him ranked sixth for this category in the Championship. Notably, he also made 2.2 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game.

McQueen – also 23-years-old – saw limited game time in the last campaign but was often brought on in the final stages of games to provide defensive cover on the wings if the Saints were trying to hold onto a lead.

If both players are to leave St Mary’s, Southampton fans will surely be disappointed to see more youth prospects not make the grade at the club.

Reed and McQueen have plenty of talent, but Premier League clubs have got into the routine of signing proven players instead of giving talented youngsters a chance. For this reason, it may benefit their careers to move on and play regularly in the highly competitive Championship.

Home/Transfer Rumors