Southampton are ‘interested’ in signing defender Ryan Fredericks this summer, it has been claimed.
At the end of May, West Ham United officially announced that the right-back would be leaving their club, having played 77 times since arriving at London Stadium in summer 2018.
The news had been expected for some time, with previous claims suggesting before he was released that Fulham was a likely destination for Fredericks.
However, with the Cottagers looking more interested in signing Neco Williams from Liverpool – with the Welshman spending time there on loan last term – that move for the former West Ham man seems to be off the table. This could, though, leave space for Southampton to swoop in this summer as they reportedly have an interest in the full-back.
Talking on The West Ham Way podcast, noted insider ExWHUemployee said: “Ryan Fredericks I thought was going to Fulham, but they signed Williams from Liverpool on loan, so it looks like he is going to have to look for other options, apparently.
“Southampton are one club that are interested; Middlesbrough have submitted an offer as well, so potentially could be dropping down to the Championship to get himself a club.”
Should Southampton sign Ryan Fredericks?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Ryan Fredericks and Southampton…
While he wasn’t the most heavily used player in the West Ham squad, Fredericks did still make 15 appearances in all competitions last term, so he clearly still has something to offer.
With plenty of Premier League experience under his belt and now at the age of 29, it could be a sensible move for Southampton to make – especially as he would arrive without a transfer fee.
Saints right-back Tino Livramento is still on the road to recovery after sustaining a serious knee injury towards the end of last season. And so, if Ralph Hasenhuttl wants to bolster that position in the summer, Fredericks could be an experienced but cheap option to come in and provide some depth.
Even so, as Ex mentions, they could face serious competition from Middlesbrough, who have supposedly ‘submitted an offer’ already. That move would make a lot of sense, with Djed Spence looking set to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, so perhaps Southampton will have a fight on their hands to bring Fredericks in.