Why Brandon Taylor would be a great choice for Southampton
According to TEAMtalk (h/t The Shields Gazette), Southampton have been credited with an interest in Brandon Taylor, who plays for Sunderland’s reserve team.
Along with the Saints, other Premier League clubs including Leicester City, Everton and Bournemouth have also been monitoring the youngster in recent weeks and are considering a move, according to the report.
Taylor, 20, has made two appearances for the senior team this term in the EFL Cup against Grimsby Town and in the FA Cup defeat away to Gillingham in November. And for the reserve side, he has featured in 11 games in the Premier League 2.
Meanwhile, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have made a comeback of sorts after being in the relegation zone for the last six months. As a result, they are in the 9th position in the league standings, one point above Arsenal.
In the process, they have beaten higher-placed teams like Chelsea and Leicester City. The only loss in between came against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side two weeks back.
One of the chief reasons for their slow start to the campaign was the imbalance in their defensive unit. They suffered one of the biggest losses in their history to Leicester in October, where the Foxes plundered 9 goals against them.
The Saints have conceded 41 goals in the league so far and this is definitely not a good sign for a club in the England first division. Lately, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens have been putting in decent performances. However, Jannik Vestergaard’s last league game prior to the meeting against Crystal Palace was back in September.
Furthermore, Maya Yoshida hasn’t featured in more than 8 league games and Augsburg loanee Kevin Danso would return to Germany at the end of this campaign. Therefore, signing Sunderland’s Brandon Taylor would be a good choice to improve the depth of their squad.
Taylor, who is primarily a centre-back, is also capable of playing on the right side of the four-man defensive unit. Thus, Southampton would have a great future prospect if they manage to pull off the deal.
Verdict
With Yoshida’s contract coming to an end in the summer, it is high time for Hasenhuttl to bring in a replacement. Thus, signing the young Taylor would be an intelligent move.
