Burnley are reportedly interested in signing Harrison Reed this summer, with the midfielder seemingly having little future at Southampton.
According to Football Insider, the Clarets are keeping close tabs on the 25-year-old with an eye to a possible swoop in the summer transfer window, as Sean Dyche has apparently been impressed with how he has performed on loan at Fulham this season.
Football Insider added that Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was happy for the player to be loaned out this term and could be willing to offload him permanently in the upcoming transfer window.
Reed has been loaned out by Southampton in each of the last three seasons, with Norwich, Blackburn and Fulham all taking him for a spell as he has been considered dispensable by a succession of managers at St Mary’s.
He has made 25 appearances for the Cottagers this term and, despite not having scored, he has stood out with his composure on the ball, boasting an 87.6% passing accuracy rate, as well as his tenacity to try and win possession, with match averages of 1.9 successful tackles and 1.4 interceptions.
The latter two averages would put him fourth in both categories among Burnley’s current squad, although it is his passing statistics which really make him stand out in comparison to the players at Dyche’s disposal.
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Reed’s 87.6% passing success rate is just over 5% higher than Josh Brownhill, the market leader for this metric at Turf Moor, and almost 9% better than Dwight McNeil, who has the Clarets’ second-highest passing accuracy. [via WhoScored]
Burnley will finish in the top half of the Premier League this season but there is huge room for improvement in terms of their ball retention – only Newcastle have had a lower possession average than their 43.6%, while the Clarets’ average passing success rate of 69.9% is the lowest in the top flight (as per WhoScored).
Reed has shown that he is willing to graft, yet it is his composure in possession which could be of greatest benefit to Burnley if he were to arrive at Turf Moor.
Southampton seem willing to get him off their books and the player may want to settle down at a new club after a succession of loan spells, so there appears to be a glorious opportunity for the Clarets to make a move for him this summer and add a midfielder who could give them a different dimension in terms of their passing game.
Burnley fans, do you think Reed will be a Clarets player next season? Give us your views in the comments section below!
