Southampton have a number of young gems at their disposal next season that could star in the Premier League, based off pre-season showings so far from the Saints.
New centre-back recruit Ronnie Edwards from Peterborough United shone when Russell Martin's men took on tough Ligue 1 opponents Montpellier recently, as the highly regarded defender picked out Tyler Dibling with a superb long-range pass to fire home on the day.
Martin might not be done there when it comes to bedding in some more top talents for the future into his new-look squad for the Premier League though, with this dangerous attacker – who has also been tipped for great things – rumoured to be relocating to St. Mary's on loan.
Southampton interested in deal for young Premier League ace
A report by the Daily Mail suggests that Liverpool will allow young hotshot Ben Doak to move to a loan club this summer, with Southampton's ears reportedly perking up at the prospect of a deal.
It will be up to the raw Scotsman whether he fancies a switch to the South Coast or whoever shows a keen interest in his services, however, as he weighs up his first-team chances at Anfield this coming campaign under new boss Arne Slot.
Minutes have come his way this pre-season, but it would be unrealistic for the promising 18-year-old to expect first-team action week in week out for the Reds, especially in the competitive nature of the Premier League near the very top.
Therefore, this move could suit all parties, but Leicester City are also interested as a fellow newly promoted club.
Seriously impressing those on Merseyside at youth level, Doak's moment to shine in the men's game could come this season at St. Mary's, with the potential for him to explode into life like Theo Walcott managed for the Saints once upon a time.
How Doak could become Southampton's next Walcott
Just watching the clip above again, Doak's electric burst of pace is very reminiscent of when Walcott used to rampage forward during the early stages of his fledging career, before losing steam as his career went on.
Still, before he became a household name for the likes of Arsenal, Walcott was a wide-eyed youngster trying to make the cut on the South Coast and was gifted his debut when he was just 16 years of age by then Southampton boss Harry Redknapp in 2005.
Age bracket
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
U21s
16
5
2
U18s
5
2
2
UEFA U19s
8
4
4
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Walcott would never look back after being given his big break, netting four goals from 21 league games during his first season in the senior mix, and Doak will look to take the first-team by storm in a similar manner if he joins Martin's group, based off his promising numbers above in and around the youth structure at the Reds.
Doak has been gifted ten first-team chances already at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp taking a particular shine to the "explosive" gem, as he has been described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
One showing against Toulouse last season during Liverpool's Europa League journey saw Doak show spurts of his raw quality, completing three successful dribbles despite only being on the pitch for one half, alongside winning five duels as a tenacious and energetic presence.
With the Saints also lacking down the right wing in terms of squad depth currently, the addition of the Liverpool youngster on loan would be a smart bit of business.
Southampton could even look back on this buy as the South Coast club having a key part to play in Doak's early footballing education, like Walcott before him, before he was then catapulted into stardom down the line.
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ByHenry JacksonJul 27, 2024
