On the latest episode of the TIFO Football Podcast, Joe Devine, Alex Stewart, Seb Stafford-Bloor and George Elek have been discussing some of the ‘sensible transfers’ they feel Manchester United, Southampton and West Brom should be targeting this summer.
One topic of discussion on the podcast was the future of Southampton midfielder Harrison Reed. The 25-year-old spent last season on loan with Fulham in the Championship, and made 28 appearances in the league for Scott Parker’s side, helping them to promotion back to the Premier League.
However, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg having left the Saints to join Tottenham Hotspur recently, Stewart suggests that the academy graduate could be the one to replace the Danish international in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side next season.
Here’s what the Athletic journalist had to say about the midfielder on the podcast:
“Southampton do clearly need somebody who can come in and adjust rapidly to the way that Hasenhuttl organises the press, and take on some of the responsibility of orchestrating that in the central midfield role.
“One [option] I’ll touch on briefly is that Harrison Reed is returning. I think that Reed showed before Hasenhuttl came in and before he’d left on loan, that he was a very capable midfielder in the making and could well be the one to step in [for the departed Hojbjerg] and do that.”
TIF Thoughts…
Reed has been linked with a permanent move to Craven Cottage following Fulham’s promotion, but Stewart is tipping him to make his mark in the first-team next season.
So far in his Saints career, the 25-year-old has managed just 30 first-team appearances, so perhaps, following his spell in the Championship, the midfielder deserves a run in the team in the Premier League to really show what he can do.
Can Reed be the man to replace Hojbjerg?
Yes
No
However, with Hasenhuttl’s side also being heavily linked with a move for Schalke defensive-midfielder Weston McKennie, then perhaps Reed will depart should Fulham be able to offer him regular first-team football, rather than perhaps being on the fringes of the Saints squad.