Pranav Nair
Southampton leading the race to land Manchester United starlet Brandon Williams
According to Hampshire Live, Southampton have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Manchester United starlet Brandon Williams.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2019/20 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He looked destined for bigger and better things but only played a largely fringe role last season. This stunted his development and he is now keen to get back on track.
The 20-year-old made just five starts for United last season and was denied a mid-season loan following the sale of Timothy Fosu-Mensah to Bayer Leverkusen and loaning Ethan Laird to MK Dons. In all, he made just 14 appearances across all competitions last season.
According to the report, United are ready to sanction a move away for Williams this summer. This is good news for Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl who is a fan of the youngster. He does, however, face competition from Norwich City for his signature.
The Canaries are however looking elsewhere, leaving the road clear for Saints to make their move. Premier League clubs can only have two loan players from other Premier League clubs at any one time. Having already signed Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour, Norwich look set to leave their second loan spot-free. This comes after a failed move to prise Oliver Skipp away from Tottenham Hotspur for a second successive season.
Speaking on BBC Radio Solent (h/t Hampshire Live), CEO Martin Semmens made clear that if the opportunity to sign Williams present itself, Southampton would be likely to pounce.
While the Saints as clear frontrunners in the race to land Williams, the defender will want guarantees of game time if he is to move to Southampton. Romain Perraud has arrived as a replacement for Ryan Bertrand at left-back while right-back Kyle Walker-Peters remains a crucial part of Hasenhuttl’s plans and was one of the very first names on the team sheet last season.
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Williams has predominantly played at left-back but can also do a job on the other flank if needed. The left-back position is locked down at United, thanks to Luke Shaw and Alex Telles, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is the clear first choice at right-back.
United are also in the market for a new right-back and have Diogo Dalot returning from loan this summer. It is fair to suggest that Williams will have a hard time getting game-time, let alone break into the playing XI next season.
