Callum Slattery is set to join De Graafschap on a short-term loan deal, according to claims from Mike McGrath of The Telegraph.
Twitter: Southampton midfielder Callum Slattery is heading to Dutch club De Graafschap on a six-month loan #SaintsFC… https://t.co/mYojgW5xYa (@mcgrathmike)
The Southampton academy graduate has not featured for the first team this season after Ralph Hasenhuttl handed him his senior debut last term.
Slattery’s fellow youth star Will Smallbone has been preferred by the manager, and it seems he is set for a six-month spell in the Netherlands, with a deal on the cards, as per McGrath’s tweet.
De Graafschap are currently sat in third place on the Eerste Divisie table, and find themselves just two points off top spot in the race to secure promotion to the Eredivisie.
Read Southampton’s verdict
We were expecting Slattery to get some more minutes in the first team this season, but Hasenhuttl has evidently seen fit to give Smallbone the nod instead of him.
In our opinion, the midfielder still possesses the potential to become a really good player. We think he reads the game well, boasts impressive technical ability and is capable of operating both as an attacking playmaker and in a slightly deeper role.
However, with James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oriol Romeu all occupying senior roles as Southampton’s midfielders, we think his chances of first-team involvement are slim this term.
As such, the loan move to De Graafschap seems a sensible one on paper. The Eerste Divise table is tight, and playing in a competitive environment with a clear end goal during a short-term loan may be just what Slattery needs.
