Tyrique George set to leave Chelsea as Southampton circle | OneFootball

Chelsea winger Tyrique George is expected to leave Chelsea permanently this January

Southampton target Tyrique George is expected to leave Chelsea on a permanent deal this month, with the winger having fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge in the first half of this campaign.

Southampton had a busy summer after their relegation from the Premier League, with the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Tyler Dibling, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jan Bednarek, and Paul Onuachu all leaving the club on a permanent basis.

In came the likes of Finn Azaz, Caspar Jander, Tom Fellows, and Leo Scienza to bolster the Saints' attack, and whilst they haven't necessarily struggled for goals this campaign, their form has been very hit and miss at the best of times, currently sitting eight points off the top six.

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton had shortlisted Chelsea winger Tyrique George at the beginning of January for a potential move, but face competition from both Everton, Leeds and Fulham.

Fulham almost signed George in the summer for £22 million, but a deal was not completed before the deadline.

Now, as per The Athletic, George is expected to depart Stamford Bridge this January permanently, with his game time having not increased, and Southampton appears to be a potential destination.

Tyrique George is to leave Chelsea in a permanent switch this January, with Southampton interested

With the 19-year-old having broken into the Chelsea squad last season, making 22 appearances in all competitions, though most of those were from the bench, George has failed to establish himself in the Blues ranks this campaign.

He has not featured in a Premier League matchday squad since late October and has been limited to a few minutes in both the EFL Cup and Champions League since then.

A product of their youth academy, George has had to compete for game time on the Chelsea flanks with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Estevao, Jamie Gittems, Pedro Neto, Facundo Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer this campaign.

With a £22 million deal from Fulham having been accepted late on in the summer window, it was clear that the England youth international is not needed at Stamford Bridge, and now looks set to leave this winter permanently.

Southampton will have to beat Premier League competition to the signature of George and have to contend with the disadvantage of offering Championship football.

With the Saints not looking overly likely to fire themselves back into the top flight at this stage, it would likely take some serious convincing by the club for George to make the move to the South Coast.

With Chelsea having accepted a £22 million bid less than six months ago, it's unlikely that they will decrease their asking price too much, meaning Southampton may have to break the Championship record deal to sign George, leapfrogging Ipswich Town's £17.5 million deal for Sindre Walle Egeli made just this summer.

Indeed, George would absolutely improve Southampton's attack right now.

Though they already have a talented crop of players in the final third of the pitch, neither Will Still nor Tonda Eckert have been able to consistently get the best out of them.

Add Jay Robinson, Adam Armstrong, Ross Stewart, Ryan Fraser, and Kuryu Matsuki to the aforementioned players signed this summer, and the Saints, on paper, have one of the best attacks in the league.

Adding George to the mix may not only improve their efficiency in the final third but also provide a boost to the squad as a whole, as they will be well aware that their place in the side is no longer a formality.