Why Southampton should complete a move for Jonathan Davids

According to claims from Guardian journalist Ed Aarons, Southampton are interested in securing the services of Canadian international striker Jonathan Davids. 

The 19-year-old New York-born centre-forward has been a real revelation in Europe since his move to Belgian heavyweights Gent from Canadian outfit Ottawa Internationals back in January 2018. 

Davids spent time with the youth sides at Gent for the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign before making his senior professional bow for his new club in August last year.

The teenager hit the ground running immediately in his debut season and earned rave reviews for his consistently impressive displays in front of goal, finishing the 2018-19 season with a tally of 14 goals in all competitions. 

And the 19-year-old has carried his rich vein of form into the ongoing campaign as well, netting a total of 6 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions, including 4 goals in 5 Jupiler League outings for Gent. 

As a matter of fact, Davids’ exploits on the international front for Canada has been equally impressive since his debut last year.

The 19-year-old bagged the Golden Boot award at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier this summer with 6 goals, including a hat-trick in his nation’s 7-0 victory over Cuba, and currently boasts of a tally of 11 international goals in just 10 appearances. 

To put things into perspective, Jonathan Davids looks like a real talent at the tender age of 19 and he could be a perfect fit for the Saints for a number of reasons. 

The Canadian has proven his ability to deliver the goods at the senior level in Europe and, while goals in the Premier League are hardly exchangeable for those in Belgium, Southampton could have a real gem on their hands if he goes on to fulfil his potential in the future. 

Also, with Ralph Hasenhuttl laying more emphasis on the development of the young players at the club and Southampton currently looking to build a team with a strong core of quality youngsters, Jonathan Davids certainly fits the bill. 

The 19-year-old might not be a finished article just yet but the Belgian market has proven to be a reliable importer of top-quality young talents to the Premier League over the years and Davids might be the next in the queue to get a chance to prove his credentials in English football.

The Saints opted to offload Sam Gallagher and Charlie Austin this summer and brought in promising youngsters like Moussa Djenepo and Che Adams to bolster the attack as a part of Hasenhuttl’s squad overhaul. 

Youngsters Michael Obafemi and Josh Sims continue to be exciting attacking prospects and Southampton making a move for Davids would certainly embody the club’s vision and ambitions for the future under the Austrian boss. 

Shane Long is someone who Hasenhuttl should be looking to move on in the near future, given that the 32-year-old has slipped down the pecking order and it would be fair to say that he hasn’t done enough to earn himself a new deal at the club. 

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All in all, Southampton investing in an exciting young striker like Jonathan Davids could be regarded as a massive statement of intent.