Southampton ‘to sign’ Keven Schlotterbeck as Tonda Eckert makes big defensive call | OneFootball

Southampton are set to sign FC Augsburg captain Keven Schlotterbeck for €3.85m plus €650k in bonuses, with the defender due in England today, Augsburger Allgemeine reports. The move follows an error-strewn start by skipper Jack Stephens and comes as bids from Aston Villa for Taylor Harwood-Bellis were rebuffed.

The Daily Echo reports the deal is not a Taylor Harwood-Bellis replacement, and that young defender Josh Quarshie will leave on loan.

Technical director Johannes Spors has moved to reinforce the backline after mistakes by Stephens against Watford and West Ham United. Supporters have long felt more than one defensive position needed attention.

Schlotterbeck, 29, has one year left on his Augsburg contract. He has captained the Bundesliga club, scored 10 goals in 152 league appearances, and represented Germany at the Olympics, pointing to valuable experience for Southampton.

Tonda Eckert has made a bold call, and it appears Stephens could lose the left-sided role once Schlotterbeck signs. The priority now is keeping Harwood-Bellis, one of Southampton’s key players, with his future still unclear after Unai Emery’s side walked away from an immediate deal.

With a week remaining in the window, optimism persists despite the 4-1 cup defeat by West Ham United. Schlotterbeck’s expected arrival to put pen to paper underlines chairman Dragan Solak’s intent to push for the Premier League this campaign.

Source: Sainstmarching.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”