A number of Southampton fans have been bemoaning the Saints’ decision to allow Yan Valery to go on loan to Birmingham City for the rest of the season.
The Saints have been enduring something of a crisis in the full-back areas in recent weeks, with Kyle Walker-Peters ruled out injured and Jake Vokins having been allowed to join Sunderland on loan. Midfielder James Ward-Prowse was preferred to Valery at right-back against Aston Villa and Moussa Djenepo was brought off the bench instead of him (Transfermarkt).
The Frenchman was well down the pecking order and does not seem to be viewed as a player who could have made an impact for Southampton this season. That resulted in deadline day rumours of a possible move to Birmingham, although it was reported that it would not happen unless the Saints brought in a replacement.
Southampton never managed to bring in another full-back, with a late effort to sign Neco Williams turned down by Liverpool. In the end, the Saints confirmed Valery’s loan departure at 11:15pm on deadline day despite the lack of a new defender being brought into the club. That leaves them with just one natural full-back currently available in their squad.
Southampton fans fume over Yan Valery’s loan departure
Many Southampton fans were left annoyed that, instead of adding a defender on deadline day, they allowed one to leave the club. Here is a flavour of the reaction from angry Saints supporters on Twitter over Valery’s loan exit:
I naively expected #saintsfc to have more options at full back by the end of the day, rather than fewer. That said, if Hasenhüttl would rather play a central midfielder or a winger at right back, it probably makes sense for him to get games elsewhere… https://t.co/gUnkSKRuZc
— Lucy Highnett (@lucyhighnett) February 1, 2021
https://twitter.com/FraserSmedley/status/1356381172805361666?s=19
https://twitter.com/DAVIDCOOK8929/status/1356380802330849282?s=19
https://twitter.com/sammysfcb/status/1356381771403841538?s=19
Great work saints! Get rid of our backup…
— Callum Shirley (@ShirleyCallum) February 1, 2021
Hope he goes and does well but I just can’t see the logic of letting him go when we’re already so short in numbers at full-back. #SaintsFC https://t.co/ux6BiU2yYE
— Dan Hargraves (@DanJHargraves) February 1, 2021
How can you loan out 2 players in a week that you were forced into using for a league game recently, and not get any replacements 🤯 https://t.co/aBvvlPgEAC
— Matt (@mrlknightt) February 1, 2021
