Summer options on the table as Mourinho outcast eyed by Southampton

Neil Foster 09 Apr 2021 1:48 PM

Reports claim that Tottenham’s England star Harry Winks is on Southampton’s radar with a view to summer swoop for the midfielder.

Winks, 25, has slipped down the Spurs pecking order this season, with just 10 Premier League appearances. He has started only three of those games. And consequently, the Hemel Hempstead-born ace seems out of contention for a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad. Having made his Three Lions debut in 2017, Winks has gone on to earn 10 caps.

He was tipped to have a long and successful international career but that is on the back burner at present. A more pressing issue is how to get back into the Spurs side on a regular basis.

He was linked with a January loan exit but Jose Mourinho slammed that door in no uncertain terms. But it may be that a different club is what the defensive midfielder needs to kick-start his flagging career.

Football Insider are reporting that Southampton may be set to offer him an escape route in the off-season. It was revealed on Thursday that the St Marys outfit will have money to spend after a new sponsorship deal.

And they may look to lure Winks to the south coast if the report is to be believed.

Saints-Spurs Swap deal for Winks?

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is the man that Mourinho prefers to play in the centre of the park. He has been keeping Winks on the sidelines and reports suggest the north Londoners now want his compatriot Jannik Vestergaard.

Whether or not that happens only time will tell but there may be scope for Winks to be included in the deal. That is a long way down the line and other clubs may come in for Winks but it remains an option.

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There is another factor suggesting Winks’ time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be coming to an end. Spurs have been linked with a number of central midfielders, suggesting he is not in Mourinho’s long-term plans.

Football Insider revealed earlier this week that RB Leipzig ace Marcel Sabitzer is high on their wish-list. It could well be a busy summer for both clubs and there will be decisions for Winks to make.

Southampton have all but secured their Premier League place, having moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Although no manager will ever be presumptuous, Ralph Hasenhuttl is sure to be plotting his summer moves.

However, his next task is to take his men to the Hawthorns to face West Brom on Monday night.

Harry Winks