The defender joined Sunderland on loan in the summer transfer window.
The agent of on-loan Sunderland defender Jason Denayer has told Belgium’s Sport/Foot magazine that joining the Black Cats was his ‘safe choice’ rather than moving to Southampton this season.
Denayer joined the Black Cats in the summer transfer window as David Moyes looked to improve his defensive options following the departure of Younes Kaboul.
He has since made nine appearances in the Premier League as Sunderland have struggled at the bottom of the table.
Many would see moving to the Stadium of Light as something of a risky choice given they have been in relegation battles over recent years.
West Bromwich Albion’s Matt Phillips in action with Sunderland’s Jason Denayer
However, Denayer’s agent says the Stadium of Light was actually the safest option for his client.
“They weren’t our first choice, but they were the safest,” Jesse de Peter admitted in Sport/Foot Magazine.
“Jason would have preferred playing alongside Virgil van Dijk at Southampton, with who he had a great season at Celtic (in 2014), but that rested on factors that were out of our control.”
Sunderland’s Jason Denayer sustains an injury
At Southampton, Denayer would have had to sit behind Jose Fonte and Van Dijk, and Sunderland was his best option of first team football.
The Black Cats have struggled once again this season and after going without a win in their first ten games are currently bottom of the table.
They find themselves five points from safety and likely to be involved in a relegation battle again and Denayer is probably wishing he had pushed harder for the chance to join Southampton.
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