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Everton midfielder linked to Saints exit

By Matt Townsend

Everton's English midfielder Tom Davies during the English League Cup second round football match between Everton and Salford City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on September 16, 2020. (Photo by PETER POWELL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PETER POWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Everton's English midfielder Tom Davies during the English League Cup second round football match between Everton and Salford City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on September 16, 2020. (Photo by PETER POWELL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PETER POWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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As rumours of players joining Everton continue, reports today claim that midfielder Tom Davies is close to joining Southampton on a year’s loan.

Davies is one of those players whose future at Everton looks doubtful after a poor season in 2019-20 and the arrival of midfield signings Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

This story comes to us via Talksport who claim that Southampton are in talks to agree a year-long loan deal for the former Everton youth product.

Davies is one of a number of players the Blues are anxious to ship out, either permanently or on loan, perhaps with the club then buying the player concerned at season’s end. This could be one such deal.

The 22-year-old has been in and out of the Everton team since making his senior debut in the 2016-17 season. That season he produced some fine performances, particularly in games such as when the Blues crushed Manchester City at Goodison Park.

It’s frustrating to see another youth product for whom much was expected, fail to progress as would have been hoped. It has happened to several such players recently like Ross Barkely and a few years ago, Jack Rodwell.

Of course there is always a high likelihood that young players will fall by the wayside. It’s such a difficult and demanding step up from youth team football to the rigours of the Premier League where there is so little time to fail and then learn from that failure.

This sort of deal would be good for the player and the club. Davies isn’t likely to get much playing time this season and a move away would give him a fresh start in his career.

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It might also provide him with an opportunity to try and develop his game, somewhere other than Goodison Park. Perhaps, if he’s a success at St Mary’s, then the Saints will turn the loan into a permanent deal.

In other outgoing transfer news, Everton have confirmed that young centre-back Lewis Gibson has gone out on a season-long loan to Reading.

As I’ve said before I don’t really understand why this is happening when the Blues are so short of central defenders and only have Yerry Mina and Micheal Keane healthy.

Obviously if the Toffees had their full compliment of defenders available, then it would be fair enough to give Gibson a chance to play regularly and continue his development if he wasn’t’ likely to get a chance in the first-team.

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But it does seem like a big risk to take letting the only other fit centre-back leave on loan. Let’s just hope that the Blues are able to sign another central defender soon.

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