Southampton have reportedly made an enquiry to Manchester United over a possible late loan deal for Brandon Williams.
According to a report by Sky Sports, Brandon Williams is the subject of interest from Southampton over a move ahead of Monday’s deadline. The Saints have approached Manchester United over the possibility of signing their academy graduate on loan for the remainder of the 2020/21 season.
Brandon Williams joined the fabled Manchester United youth setup in 2017 before finishing his footballing education a couple of years later. The young full-back received his big break with the first-team squad last year, making his debut early in the 2019/20 season.
Williams went on to make 36 appearances for Manchester United last season, featuring regularly in every competition. This term, though, the 20-year-old has been restricted to featuring solely in the Carabao Cup, with Luke Shaw being preferred in the Premier League.
However, his prospects could be hit further, seeing as Manchester United are set to sign Alex Telles ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline. Indeed, the arrival of Telles could leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with three left-back options, although Williams could even feature at right-back. His situation, though, has piqued the interest of Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has been adamant that Southampton need to sign a few players before the summer transfer window slams shut. And, reinforcing the full-back department seems to be his priority, with Manchester United academy graduate Williams now on the Saints’ radar.
As things stand, Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters are the resounding first-choice full-back pairing, with Jake Vokins and Yan Valery being the backups. Williams could usurp Vokins on the left side of the Southampton defence, but could be relegated to being Bertrand’s deputy. This is where the matters become complicated for Southampton.
Manchester United are insistent that the loan deal comes with an attachment that Williams will be featuring regularly for Southampton this season. The Saints, though, cannot guarantee this, which could hold the deal up, although the south coast club will be pushing to complete the move late on Monday.
What now remains to be seen is if talks between Manchester United and Southampton progress in the coming hours leading up to the transfer deadline. Williams, though, will be best served by going out on loan this summer, ideally to a club where he can feature prominently.
