Report: Southampton plot Ryan Shawcross move

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Southampton boss Mark Hughes is eyeing a reunion with Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross, according to reports.

According to a report from The Sunday Mirror (25th March 2018; page 64), Southampton are plotting a move for Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross at the end of the season.

The Saints go into the international break in the bottom three in the Premier League. However, there appears to be a fresh injection of positivity around St Mary’s right now with new boss Mark Hughes winning his first game in charge to help the club into the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Hughes’ deal is only until the end of the season, according to BBC Sport, but the Welshman is already making plans for the summer, with The Sunday Mirror reporting that he is looking to target the 30-year-old if he keeps the south coast club in the top flight.

The Sunday Mirror (25th March 2018; page 64) adds that Shawcross is going to look to move if the Potters go down – they are one place below Southampton in the table – and may still prove to be target for Hughes even if Paul Lambert’s men manage to maintain their place at the highest level.

Uninspiring target for Southampton?

Despite Stoke’s troubles, Shawcross has enjoyed a decent season at the bet365 Stadium and has proved to be one of the more consistent defenders in the Premier League over the last decade, so he may well prove to be a decent acquisition for the Saints, if everything falls into place and he ends up at St Mary’s.

Southampton certainly need to add their centre-back options following the January sale of Virgil van Dijk, and Shawcross may be a dependable target to strengthen their depth in that area of the field.

But with transfermarkt showing that the defender’s contract runs out in 2021, it seems unlikely that he will come cheap, and that may leave Saints fans sceptical about whether the club would be better off pursuing other targets.