Southampton man set for transfer exit as agreement close | OneFootball

Southampton's Ryan Fraser is poised to join Western Sydney Wanderers for the remainder of the season.

Southampton’s Ryan Fraser is in Australia as he closes in on a surprise loan move to Western Sydney Wanderers.

The 31-year-old hasn’t featured for Saints since their Boxing Day defeat to Oxford United, and with his contract expiring in the summer, there have been doubts about his future at St. Mary’s Stadium.

A permanent exit in the summer is inevitable, but it appears Fraser has already played his last game for Southampton.

Ryan Fraser set to join Western Sydney Wanderers from Southampton

That’s after the Daily Echo revealed that Fraser is in advanced talks to join Western Sydney Wanderers on a loan deal that will run until the summer.

They explain that the former Newcastle man has already travelled to Australia, suggesting an agreement is in place, meaning it will be finalised shortly, in what will be seen as a coup for the A-League outfit.

It will also be a welcome addition for Western Sydney Wanderers, as they have endured a difficult campaign so far, with the team sitting second from bottom in the table at the moment after 13 games.

From Southampton’s perspective, the deal will allow them to save on Fraser’s wages before he departs on a free, whilst Tonda Eckert clearly feels he has enough cover in the right wing-back role, particularly as James Bree has returned to the club after spending the first half of the season with Charlton Athletic.

Ryan Fraser exit makes sense for all parties

This is a great opportunity for Fraser to move to a different part of the world, and whilst it may surprise some, the reality is that it’s a new experience for the player before he becomes a free agent in the summer.

It became apparent in recent weeks that Fraser wasn’t in Eckert’s plans moving forward, so the chance to play football regularly was always going to be a priority for the wide man.

The fact he wasn’t involved shows that Fraser won’t really be missed by Southampton during the run-in, and you can understand that, as the boss does have plenty of options for the wide right role in his setup, with Bree, Elias Jelert and Tom Fellows all capable in that position.

Despite that, it’s clear other areas of the squad must be addressed before the deadline, and Eckert will hope Fraser’s imminent exit has freed up some room on the wage bill and in the squad to bring some reinforcements in.