Ralph Hassenhuttl remains coy over potential Southampton transfer exit as Watford circle | OneFootball

Southampton player Jack Stephens is a wanted man this window, with Watford keen to try and seal a deal for him according to The Athletic.

However, when boss Ralph Hassenhuttl was asked about a potential switch for the player this summer, the Saints boss was coy over a transfer move and chose not to speak on ‘individual players’ according to Benjy Nurick.

Stephens has played for Southampton for eight seasons now and has racked up 122 league appearances so far with four goals and three assists. The player though could now be about to swap the Premier League for the Championship, with Watford wanting to strengthen at the back.

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Tom Cleverley?

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This year, the player has already featured in both Saints games and last term, he played in a further eleven games with nine starts. Even though the defender has seemingly fallen down the pecking order and out of the first-team equation, this year he has been in both Premier League games for the club and it means Southampton might not be too quick to sell him.

However, the Hornets are seemingly in talks over a potential move and that has only been confirmed by Hassenhuttl’s reluctance to mention a potential move or the player. For now, Watford remain locked in negotiations it seems but it does appear as though the current Southampton player could finally be about to swap the top flight and St Mary’s Stadium for a move to Vicarage Road and to Watford before the transfer window shuts at the end of August.

The Verdict

Jack Stephens plays some good football for Southampton and if Watford were to sign him then it would be a very good move for their backline.

With Southampton, the player has been a regular for nearly a decade of action. He’s grown as a defender during his time there and has a wealth of Premier League experience under his belt because of it. He’s not a regular in the side now though, so it might be the window in which he finally leaves the club.

Even with the player not a first-team regular with the Saints though, it doesn’t mean he is any less good. He could be a solid option for a handful of other top flight sides, of that there is no question, and if Watford snap him up then he could be one of the best in the division.

With Watford and Rob Edwards chasing a Championship promotion, they’d be doing themselves plenty of favours by signing Stephens.