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Southampton’s ideal January transfer window roundtable – by Alastair Case

By Alastair Case

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Demarai Gray of Leicester City and Mesut Ozil of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Demarai Gray of Leicester City and Mesut Ozil of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Southampton’s English midfielder James Ward-Prowse (L) vies with Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil (R) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Southampton’s English midfielder James Ward-Prowse (L) vies with Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil (R) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Q2: In your opinion, which area/s of the team do Saints need to add players? And which specific player/s would you like to see come in?

A: At the risk of repeating myself, I would like to see the addition of a full back capable of playing either sides. The reality is that a) this could be hard to find and b) those good enough to cover either side are unlikely to be wanting to play understudy to two established full backs in Bertrand and Walker-Peters. Brandon Williams would tick the first box, but would he realistically choose to join Saints when there is no guarantee of starting – one would assume not.

Gray does excite me as a player but at 24 years old, how many more false dawns will we be allowed before he either realises his considerable potential or is forced to seek employment in a lower league. If, and it is a big if, he was signed and was willing to adapt to Hasenhuttl’s system, he would seem a relatively low risk option given we could get him on loan until the summer, prior to a permanent transfer.

In terms of a left field choice, I would love the unlikely option of getting Mezut Ozil on loan until the end of the season. At the time of writing, his Arsenal career looks close to over and whilst he will doubtless favour a move abroad to richer and fairer climes, there is an unbelievably talented player there. In a number ten role, Ozil offers vision and control in addition to being a proven finisher at top level.

He is 32 and has signalled his interest in a move to the MLS or to Turkey so this seems unrealistic but as Walcott has shown, age should not always be a barrier when you have a player with a point to prove. Wages will be difficult for a club of Southampton’s stature but Arsenal could be open to a contribution versus the alternative of him languishing in the stands on full pay.