Report hints West Ham could sell Winston Reid; should Southampton bid?

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Southampton arguably need to add a leader to their defensive options during the summer, so perhaps the West Ham ace is worth considering.

When Southampton reflect on what went wrong this past season – and almost cost them their place in the Premier League – it is possible that the club’s decision to hold onto Virgil van Dijk until January was, in hindsight, a potential mistake.

The Saints landed a fantastic amount of money for the Dutchman, but he was certainly not the same player or leader during the first-half of the season that he had been during the rest of his time following his move from Celtic. They may have got less had they sold him in the summer, but perhaps their squad may have been in a better position for the campaign if they had brought an earlier end to the saga.

Southampton are yet to replace van Dijk so Mark Hughes certainly needs to get some defenders through the door this summer. One player he should consider is West Ham’s Winston Reid amid reports from the Daily Mirror that his future at the London Stadium is uncertain.

Reid is not on the same level as The Netherlands international as a defender, but he is unquestionably a leader who could help organise the Saints defence. He also brings the considerable amount of Premier League experience that none of the club’s current centre-backs possess.

Hughes arguably needs to make more than one notable centre-back signing during the summer as he looks to ensure that the Saints find themselves nowhere near the position that they found themselves in this past season.

And while Reid may not have enjoyed the best season at West Ham or be the kind of defender that will allow the club to forget about how good van Dijk was for them most of the time, he is the kind of player that may leave the Hammers ruing the decision to let him go in future because he could be a very shrewd signing for a Southampton side that needs captains after losing the Liverpool man and Jose Fonte before that.

And with Reid potentially available this summer, a deal for him should surely leave the Saints with enough in the kitty to go and get another centre-back who is much more likely to capture the imagination.