Why Tom Davies would be a smart signing for Southampton
According to The Sun, Everton midfielder Tom Davies has emerged as a loan target for Premier League rivals Southampton, who are currently looking to find a replacement for former captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
The Dane’s departure to Tottenham earlier in the summer has left a massive void in the Saints’ midfield and a list of replacements has been drawn up at St. Mary’s, with Davies mentioned as a potential target. (h/t Sun)
It has been reported, however, that Everton are yet to receive any official contact from Southampton over a loan deal for the 22-year-old.
Profile
Tom Davies started his footballing education at Tranmere Rovers before joining Everton’s youth system back in 2009. He rose quickly through various age-group ranks at Goodison Park and impressed for the U-23s before earning his Premier League debut in the 2015-16 season.
The 22-year-old hasn’t really been a regular starter for the Toffees over the last few years, partly due to his tender years and stiff competition for places. He has still accumulated a tally of 6 goals and 6 assists in 124 appearances in all competitions for Everton, while also becoming the youngest player to captain the club, aged just 20.
Davies has represented England across all age levels between U-16 and U-21 and currently has 19 caps for the latter.
Davies would replenish Southampton’s midfield depth
Having romped home to an impressive 11th-place finish in the league last term, Southampton have endured a nightmarish start to the ongoing campaign. A 1-0 defeat away at Crystal Palace on the opening day of the campaign was followed by a shock 2-0 loss against Brentford in the EFL Cup before the Saints suffered a 5-2 hiding at home against Tottenham in the league again.
It was always going to be tough for Ralph Hasenhuttl to cope with the departure of Hojbjerg, who was quite exceptional for the Saints last season. The early-season crisis has only heightened the need for a replacement.
Oriol Romeu has partnered captain James Ward-Prowse in each of Southampton’s first three games. But with squad options like Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed both departing the club, Hasenhuttl has very little cover to rotate his squad. Will Smallbone has shown a lot of promise but he’s still too young to feature regularly in the Premier League.
Suffice to say, the Saints are currently crying out for at least another central midfielder and a loan move for Tom Davies would offer a temporary solution to bolster that department. Despite being only 22, the Everton graduate already boasts more than 100 appearances in his career, which is a feat that definitely deserves a lot of applause.
Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Davies has the versatility to switch between attacking and defensive roles in the middle of the park. That coupled with his energetic nature and homegrown status make him an ideal fit for Hasenhuttl’s high-pressing system that demands a lot of work rate.
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Verdict
Tom Davies has been tipped for a bright future at Everton ever since his days in the club’s academy and he remains an exciting prospect with loads of untapped potential at just 22. However, his chances of playing regularly at Goodison Park look very slim following the arrivals of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan earlier this summer.
Hasenhuttl has an excellent track record when it comes to nurturing young talent and Southampton could have a gem on their hands if the Austrian manages to extract the best out of Davies. Having said that, a loan deal should be a fair settlement for all parties involved.
