David Brooks arrival could spell trouble for this Southampton player: View | OneFootball

Southampton FC added David Brooks on loan to their squad in January, but the move could spell trouble for Che Adams and his future at the club.

The Saints are in the running for automatic promotion this season, sitting second in the table behind league leaders Leicester City and in fantastic form for the final three months of the Championship.

With Adam Armstrong firing in the goals, they have not lacked an effective attack this season, although that did not stop them adding an international and Premier League player to their ranks in January.

However, any new player coming into the starting 11 will mean that somebody is going to miss out, and Adams will likely be the man who will lose time on the pitch due to this new addition to the team.

Brooks signs for Southampton

Southampton confirmed the signing of David Brooks from Bournemouth at the end of the transfer window, following links to multiple clubs for the Wales international during the winter.

With the winger out of favour at the Cherries, Leeds United were chasing a deal to sign the forward in the hope that giving him game time would help propel them closer to the top two in the league.

However, it was Russell Martin's side who secured the transfer, agreeing a loan deal until the end of the season for the 26-year-old.

While there was no option to buy him included in his contract, there's a good chance that the Saints will naturally want to add him to the squad permanently if he can help them return to the Premier League with his Championship performances.

The deal could spell trouble for Adams

Signing the Welsh international could make the difference in the Saints' push for promotion at the end of the season, although it may be the end of Adams' time as a starter at St Mary's.

The Scottish international lost his role as the key striker to Adam Armstrong following last year's relegation, and has spent a lot of the current league campaign in and out of the team.

He has done well in those games he has played, netting eight times already in the league this season during a fantastic campaign that has seen the Saints climb to second in the table under Martin.

Due to the lack of established right-wingers at the club, Adams has sometimes been used in a slightly unorthodox forward position, tasked with playing in the channels rather than as a fixed No.9. That issue in terms of a right-winger has changed now with the arrival of Brooks.

The emergence of Armstrong as one of the top scorers in the league means he's probably going to be the go-to centre forward, whilst Brooks looks like he will be a permanent fixture on the right eventually.

While Adams is a natural up front and an alternative to Armstrong, Brooks is an established figure on the right-wing, having played in the role for Sheffield United, Bournemouth and Wales in his career. He can also play in the centre, showing versatility that will be greatly appreciated by Martin as the season progresses, particularly if he leans towards a narrow system still - Brooks' ability to cut in on his left-foot from the right, the perfect fit.

While time on the pitch for Bournemouth has been lacking so far, Brooks has shown his talents when he has been given an extended run in the team.

While his career was halted for nearly a year when he battled cancer, he managed an impressive seven goals and six assists in 2019 for the Cherries, being nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.

In his last full season in the Championship, Brooks managed five goals and six assists, showing how well he can perform at this level. His creativity was clearly shown, as he created 1.1 key passes per game, as well as 1.4 accurate long balls per game to help unlock defences.

This is something Armstrong will be looking forward to when Brooks gets consistent minutes under his belt at St Mary's.

Indeed, Brooks' addition may make the club regret not accepting a reported £12 million offer for Adams back in the summer, although it is hard to claim with hindsight that they would be in the same position right now had they let him go.

Nevertheless, with Adams likely to be out of the starting eleven for the bulk of the Championship run-in, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, this is most likely going to be his final six months at St Mary's before moving to another club on a free transfer.

Adams reportedly turned down a three-year contract at Southampton in the summer, and losing his spot in the team during the most crucial part of the season will do nothing to convince him to stick around; promotion could turn his head if the Saints keep on their fantastic run of form, but that's a different conversation and the club might argue they need better anyway.

However, the difficult Adams situation will have been worth it for the Saints, if the Brooks deal is what pushes them over the line for promotion and gets them back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.