Southampton are one of a number of clubs preparing to swoop for Sunderland centre-back Brandon Taylor.
According to TeamTalk, Southampton are ready to make a move for Taylor after scouring him several times this season.
The report claims that Leicester, Everton and Bournemouth are also interested in the 20-year-old, with Sunderland bracing themselves for offers.
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It is hard to judge Taylor’s quality, given that he has had limited first-team involvement for Sunderland this season. The defender has made a smattering of appearances in the cup, but is yet to make his league debut for the club. This means that there is very little data to suggest whether or not he would be a good signing for the Saints.
However, what it does show is that Southampton are looking to improve their under-23 squad. This highlights how seriously the club take youth development and how committed they are to bringing through new talent each year, rather than solely relying on big-money signings from abroad to keep them in the Premier League.
You only have to look at someone like Jack Stephens to see how well it can work. He was signed from Plymouth and drafted into the under-23 squad before eventually becoming a first-team regular at St. Mary’s – a path Taylor could look to emulate if he does join the club this month.
