Why Troy Deeney would be a good signing for Southampton
According to claims from Sunday Mirror via The Boot Room (h/t Hertfordshire Live), Southampton have entered the race to sign Watford striker Troy Deeney before the domestic deadline on October 16.
Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion and newly-promoted West Brom have also been mentioned among the potential suitors for the 32-year-old, who is yet to start a league fixture for Watford this season following their relegation from the Premier League. (h/t Hertfordshire Live)
Deeney has only one year left to run on his current deal at Vicarage Road and is currently one of the highest earners at the club. As per the report, Watford could let him go before the deadline to free up funds and make room for a new striker.
Profile
Troy Deeney started his professional career with Wallsall in League One before joining Watford in the summer of 2010 and the Birmingham-born hitman has spent the past decade at Vicarage Road, establishing himself as a cult hero among the club faithful.
The 32-year-old bagged 77 goals in 205 appearances for the Hornets in the Championship earlier in his career, including a 21-goal campaign in 2014-15 as Watford secured promotion to the Premier League. Deeney eventually went on to carve out a big reputation for himself as a powerful centre-forward in the English top-flight, registering 47 goals and 21 assists in 163 outings.
Deeney was one of the few Watford players to come away with some genuine credit from the club’s ignominious relegation campaign in the PL last term, having scored 10 goals in 27 appearances despite struggling with injuries.
Deeney would be a good short-term fix for Southampton
Danny Ings almost single-handedly propelled Southampton to an impressive 11th place finish in the PL last season with his 22-goal haul that saw him finish just one goal behind eventual Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy. Ings has hit the ground running this term as well, scoring thrice in the Saints’ four opening league fixtures so far.
However, the 28-year-old has had his fair share of struggles with injuries over the years, and relying too heavily on him could very well backfire. Southampton currently don’t have an effective plan B to take the pressure off Ings’ shoulders, with Che Adams yet to make a big impression in the top-flight and Shane Long well past his prime at 33.
Michael Obafemi has been making waves with his cameos for the first-team after rising through the club’s academy ranks. But the youngster is still not the finished article capable of playing week in week out in the Premier League.
To put things into perspective, Southampton making a move to sign Troy Deeney before the deadline would make sense for a number of reasons. A bonafide goalscorer at the Premier League level, it is a no-brainer that the 32-year-old has the experience and the pedigree to add more depth and firepower to the Saints’ striking ranks.
Furthermore, the potential arrival of Deeney would also hand a massive boost to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad dynamics from a tactical perspective. Widely regarded as one of the best target man strikers in English football, Deeney managed to get the best out of a mobile attacker like Deulofeu at Watford and he seems to have the qualities to complement Ings at St. Mary’s.
According to Whoscored, Deeney averaged a staggering 7.3 aerial duels per game in the PL last term as compared to Ings’ average of just 1.2. Hence, it is quite clear that the Watford man offers much more of an aerial threat in the final third and his dominant presence could well add another dimension to Southampton’s attack.
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Verdict
Troy Deeney still has a couple of good years left in him at the Premier League level and Southampton should fancy their chances of nabbing him in a cut-price deal before the deadline, with the 32-year-old having less than 12 months remaining on his contract.
He fits the bill as an excellent short-term fix at St. Mary’s for a wide variety of reasons and Southampton will definitely look a more daunting attacking unit with Ings and Deeney operating up top.
