Southampton have renewed their interest in Brandon Williams with the Manchester United defender struggling for game-time in the Premier League, according to the Athletic.
This feels like one of those deals that suits everyone down to the ground.
Academy graduate Williams made 42 appearances in all competitions during his breakthrough season at Old Trafford. But the £15 million summer signing of Alex Telles means things have changed dramatically for the 20-year-old in recent weeks.
Williams has not played a single second of Premier League football this term.
So a loan move to Southampton would not only hand the England U21 international a fresh start, it would also see him hone his talent under a coach who transformed Timo Werner, Naby Keita, James Ward-Prowse and co into top class stars.
Ralph Hasenhuttl is famed both in England and Germany for his potential-fulfilling penchant.
And Williams is exactly the kind of buccaneering, all-action full-back who tends to thrive under the Austrian’s high-octane, counter-attacking approach.
Southampton tried to sign Williams over the summer before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer blocked the deal.
The Manchester United boss could view the situation a little differently in January, however, with a bench-warming role doing little for the development of an exciting, homegrown prospect.
Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters have shone at Southampton this term, however, and Williams would face a fight to get into Hasenhuttl’s starting XI too.
“He’s an excellent defender but he can also get forward as well. He’s got quality, he’s a talented lad and he’ll get up and down the pitch,” United legend Paul Scholes told BT Sport (January 15th, 7.30pm)
“He’s got two good feet, I think he’s more of a right-footed left-back which is strange. He’s got the quality to get forward and the quality to score goals.”
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