Everton: Major transfer twist in Tom Davies link to Southampton

Tom Davies has been linked with a loan move to Southampton but reports now suggest the Saints were never interested in the Englishman.

Tom Davies has invited a lot of criticism for his underwhelming performances last season. The midfielder never looked comfortable in the Everton shirt and failed to inspire in the middle of the park. The arrival of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure meant that Davies was no longer a starter in the team. With Gbamin also expected to be as fresh as a new signing, questions were raised over Davies’ future as he was linked to Newcastle United and then Southampton.

To be true, Tom Davies was never up to the mark, he was consistently below par. There’s no way he’d break into the current starting eleven. This saw Newcastle United get linked to the Englishman with Steve Bruce’s side preparing a £12 million bid as per Daily Mail. However, the rumours soon fizzled out and it was never talked about again.

Sky Sports reported yesterday that Southampton is eyeing a move for Tom Davies. The deal would be a loan with an option to buy. Southampton is searching for a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who left Saints for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Danish midfielder was a target for Everton too with the Merseysiders also launching bids that were rejected by Southampton because Hojbjerg’s desire was to move to Spurs.

The Sky Sports report further added that Everton is not looking to loan but instead sell the 22 year old. Davies is not expected to be a regular pick in the team and selling him will allow Ancelotti’s side to strengthen the other areas.

However, a report from Football Insider now claims that Southampton have never made contact with Everton to discuss a move for Tom Davies. In fact, the Saints have not contacted the Toffees since August after the transfer of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham.

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Everton had also offered Tom Davies in a player plus cash deal for Hojbjerg. However, since Dane’s move to North London, no talks have taken place for Davies.

Instead, Southampton is said to be chasing Olivier Ntcham of Celtic. Southampton has to sign a replacement for Hojbjerg but Davies may not be the chosen player. Tom Davies doesn’t suit that profile and even if he makes a move to St. Mary’s, he wouldn’t be able to find his feet again if he’s not played in the role he is comfortable in.

At Goodison, his future doesn’t look bright. He is 22 and can be moulded but at the moment he finds himself battling for a place against the likes of Allan, Andre Gomes, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

A loan move elsewhere will help him get proper game time and build his confidence back. The Brit can be a decent player when deployed in his natural position. With the recent rumours, we shouldn’t be entirely surprised if Tom Davies is shipped off on loan before the end of the transfer window.

Should the Toffees sell or loan Tom Davies?