da pinup bet： According to reports in The Telegraph, Southampton are ready to challenge Premier League rivals West Ham United in the race to sign £25m-rated Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson during the January transfer window.
What’s the word, then?
da blaze casino： Well, The Telegraph says that Saints are ready to dip into the transfer market next month following the £75m sale of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool, as they currently lie just two points above the relegation zone.
The Telegraph says that the south coast outfit are looking for a replacement for van Dijk at centre-back, and are ready to challenge the Irons for the signing of Mawson.
Reports in the Daily Mail on December 27 suggested that West Ham are ready to bid £25m for the 23-year-old in the New Year, with David Moyes keen to bring in a new central defender.
How has Mawson done this season?
Despite Swansea’s struggles, the centre-back has been one of their most impressive and consistent performers.
According to Squawka, the former Barnsley man has won 69 of the 97 aerial duels he has faced in 20 Premier League appearances this term, while he has made 134 clearances and 17 blocks.
Mawson has also shown his quality on the ball as well by successfully completing all five of the dribbles he has attempted, and he has a passing accuracy of 83%.
Would be he a good signing for Southampton?
He certainly would be.
The 23-year-old has shown the defensive qualities since joining Swansea in 2016, and his aerial ability may be important following the departure of the dominant van Dijk.
If he is to be paired with Wesley Hoedt then his lack of pace may be an issue, but as long as he is willing to put in 100% effort every week then Saints fans would certainly be more than happy.
Will they get him ahead of West Ham?
It’s difficult to say.
Firstly, Swansea probably won’t want to lose one of their key players as they fight for Premier League survival.
Then there is certainly no guarantee that the player would choose Southampton over Moyes’ men, even if they are willing to pay the reported £25m price tag – which seems unlikely given it would smash the south coast outfit’s transfer record.
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