According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, Southampton are interested in Tom Davies and could make a loan move for the 22-year-old before the summer transfer window shuts.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg left Southampton to join Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year deal in August, so Ralph Hasenhuttl needs a replacement in the engine room. Davies is surplus to requirements, so a move away from Goodison Park should suit all parties.
On the periphery
Davies has made 123 appearances in all competitions for us, scoring six goals with six assists, but he’s no longer commanding a starting place. The former England u21 international made 32 appearances last season, but he struggled for consistency and has since fallen down the pecking order.
Davies was a regular alongside Gylfi Sigurdsson in 2019/20, but Andre Gomes, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure have been preferred this season. Davies has made 1/3 appearances and racked up 90/270 minutes of playing time, amassing only one minute of Premier League football.
It’s unlikely we’d stand in the way of a departure, but it remains to be seen if the midfielder is open to joining Southampton.
Can we rely on Delph and Gbamin as backup?
Davies isn’t likely to feature ahead of Gomes, Allan and Doucoure, but he may still be useful as a backup this season. We have Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin for cover in midfield, but Delph is currently injured and has an uncertain future while Gbamin isn’t expected to return before 2021.
Carlo Ancelotti has a difficult decision to make. Davies is still young and needs regular football for the sake of his development, so Ancelotti might grant him a loan move away to ensure he’s not stagnating on the bench.
Delph hasn’t been reliable to call upon, however, so we’ll be taking a risk by gambling on his fitness and form. Gbamin has only made two appearances in 13 months, so he’s unlikely to hit the ground running when he does return either.
Summary
Davies being loaned out would be the right move. We’d just need to hope that Gomes, Allan and Doucoure can stay fit for the season as our backup options aren’t the best.
In other news, Everton should NOT sign Thomas Lemar despite Atletico Madrid transfer-listing him
Davies hasn’t made the step up and is past the point where he will
I think he is a clone of Southamptons Romeu. Ok technical skills, rarely injured, tough in tackling, but also pretty slow and not very dangerous when taking aim and shooting at goal. For a 22-year old, though, 100+ premier league games is a fine achievement.