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Southampton: Jannik Vestergaard is the perfect addition to the Saints’ defence

By Chris Hughes

MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY - MARCH 19: Jannik Vestergaard of Moenchengladbach walks out of the bus prior to the Bundesliga match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Muenchen at Borussia-Park on March 19, 2017 in Moenchengladbach, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images For MAN)
MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY - MARCH 19: Jannik Vestergaard of Moenchengladbach walks out of the bus prior to the Bundesliga match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Muenchen at Borussia-Park on March 19, 2017 in Moenchengladbach, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images For MAN) /
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It’s being reported that towering defender Jannik Vestergaard will have a medical today ahead of his move to Southampton – the centre-back looks like the perfect addition to the Saints’ back-line.

A month or so after the Premier League season concluded, Southampton were yet to complete any business and the supporters were beginning to turn on the board – however it looks like they’re now set to complete their third summer signing in less than two weeks.

And furthermore, it seems like the board are actually addressing the issues within the squad – last summer the Saints added some quality but failed to fill the obvious voids – this year seems different.

Mohamed Elyounoussi adds some well-needed pace and creativity whilst Stuart Armstrong’s work-rate and versatility could prove important throughout the long Premier League campaign – new boy Jannik Vestergaard offers the Saints some serious physical presence at the back.

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PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – JUNE 27: Jannik Vestergaard (R) of Denmark discuss with Isaac Kiese Thelin (L) of Sweden during UEFA U21 European Championship semi final match between Denmark and Sweden at Generali Arena on June 27, 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Matej Divizna/Getty Images)
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – JUNE 27: Jannik Vestergaard (R) of Denmark discuss with Isaac Kiese Thelin (L) of Sweden during UEFA U21 European Championship semi final match between Denmark and Sweden at Generali Arena on June 27, 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Matej Divizna/Getty Images) /

Whilst the Saints’ four current centre-halves are all talented in their own right, the quartet are all remarkably similar in terms of playing-styles. They are all pass-first defenders with good pace who are good on the ball too. This is good for modern football, but leaves Southampton dangerously vulnerable in the air.

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However, with the addition of the Dane, the Saints go from the hunted to the hunter when it comes to aerial dominance, with Vestergaard standing at six-foot-six, he’ll pose a constant threat in the opposition’s box whilst also being able to mark even the strongest Premier League players in his own.

Although the 25-year-old isn’t especially pacey, he makes up for it with good ball-distribution and shot blocking. Last season, no player in the Bundesliga made more blocks than the Borussia Monchengladbach defender.

In fact, his lack of straight-line speed isn’t much of a problem at all, as his weaknesses are covered by the Saints’ other defenders. Potential new boy Marlon Santos, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens are all fairly quick for centre-halves meaning if Vestergaard sits in the middle of a back-three, he’ll thrive as opposed to faili.

All in all the board once again deserve credit for what seems to be a real steal. Granted, players like Christopher Jullien and Ben Gibson were potentially available for less, but Vestergaard seems to fit the bill for Southampton better than anyone else. He seems like the perfect addition to the Saints’ defence.