Southampton must now strike deal for £3.5m Coventry City man after West Brom battle | OneFootball

Southampton should look to sign Coventry City's Kaine Kesler-Hayden this summer after they were pipped to a transfer by West Brom

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert is looking to reinforce his defensive options heading into next season, and having missed out on one of their targets to a division rival, must now turn their attention elsewhere.

Southampton's summer window is still yet to really jump into life, though things haven't been totally quiet at St Mary's.

Lewis Dobbin has joined the club for around £9 million from Aston Villa to provide another option in attack, whilst the loans of each of Daniel Peretz, George Long, and Cyle Larin have become permanent.

However, German head coach Tonda Eckert, who awaits a possible ban for his role in the now-infamous 'spygate' scandal, doesn't appear to be done adding to his options just yet, as with their move for a defensive reinforcement having fallen through, the Saints should now turn their attentions elsewhere, namely to Premier League outfit Coventry City.

Southampton should target Coventry City's Kaine Kesler-Hayden after Nolan Galves' West Bromwich Albion switch

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When Eckert assumed control at St Mary's following the dismissal of his predecessor Will Still, one of the first actions he made in the January window was to recall James Bree from his loan spell at Charlton Athletic.

Bree, 28, would go on to make 24 appearances in all competitions for the Saints in the second half of the season, scoring three and assisting three, and generally excelling.

However, with little to no cover in that area, with Yukinari Sugawara likely to depart, Southampton targeted French right-back Nolan Galves as a potential option to come in and provide competition for Bree in that position.

Galves, 23, grabbed seven assists in 32 league appearances for Rodez in the French second tier last season, and according to Belgian journalist Sacha Talovieri via X, both Southampton and Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion had reached an agreement over his signature.

However, the right-back would choose the Baggies over a switch to Hampshire, who must now search for an alternative, and could do a lot worse than Coventry City's Kaine Kesler-Hayden.

Kesler-Hayden, 23, joined the Sky Blues last summer from Aston Villa for around £3.5 million to provide competition for Milan van Ewijk at the CBS Arena, having previously shone on loan with Preston North End.

However, the Englishman would be limited to less than 600 league minutes in 22 appearances across the campaign, and following Coventry's promotion to the Premier League, is unlikely to see an increase in his time on the field, and could be allowed to leave this summer either permanently or on loan if a deal can be struck with the Saints.

Why Kaine Kesler-Hayden would be a good fit for Southampton

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Having won the fans' Player of the Year, Player's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year during his time at Preston, where he scored two and assisted three in 44 league appearances for the Lilywhites

Capable of playing as a right-back in a back four or as a wing-back in a back five, Kesler-Hayden predominantly played the latter during his spell at Deepdale, where, according to FotMob, he completed 43 successful dribbles, won 72 fouls, and won 255 duels across the campaign.

Having proven his capabilities going forward, his 228 recoveries and 217 defensive contributions during his time with Preston suggest he is no slouch when it comes to defending.

If Southampton are looking for a player who excels in both defence and attack, whilst having the capability of progressing the ball up the pitch, Kesler-Hayden would be an ideal fit on the South Coast, and Eckert should turn his attentions to the Sky Blues after the disappointment of missing out on Galves.

Tonda Eckert mustn't give up on defensive reinforcements despite Nolan Galves' rejection

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With Galves heading to the Black Country instead, Eckert mustn't give up on bringing in defensive reinforcements just yet at Southampton.

In any case, Bree will need competition in his role at right-back, and an alternative must be sourced before the end of the window, as Kesler-Hayden could be an ideal fit.

Capable of filling in numerous positions, his addition would provide Eckert with another option down the right flank, both at right-back and right wing-back, as well as on the right side of attack as an alternative to Tom Fellows.

A loan or permanent seems like a possibility, as Southampton should dust themselves down and turn their attentions to Kesler-Hayden ASAP.