Southampton are plotting a move for Sheffield Wednesday keeper Keiren Westwood this summer. According to recent reports, the Saints are looking to secure the services of the Championship stop-stopper when the transfer window opens in the summer. The Republic of Ireland international has a year left to run in his contract with the Owls and is currently out of action for the remainder of the campaign due to a groin injury.
It is believed that the veteran goalie has played his last game at the Hillsborough Stadium with a whole host of clubs chasing after his signature. The Saints are on the lookout for a new keeper in the off-season after deciding to sell Fraser Forster this summer. They are eager to find a shot-stopper who can compete with Alex McCarthy for a place in Mark Hughes’ first-team and Kieren Westwood fits the bill perfectly.
The 33-year-old keeper was sidelined for four months after his recent surgery on his groin. However, his comeback was derailed following a tear on his return to training in the past week. He is set to miss the rest of the campaign and Republic of Ireland’s friendlies with France, United States and Celtic in the summer. Westwood has made 18 league appearances for the Owls this season, conceding 22 goals while keeping 4 clean sheets.
The South-coast outfit are currently in deep trouble and find themselves in the 18th spot in the league standings with a tally of 28 points in 33 league matches. Mark Hughes’s men are in real danger of being demoted to the Skybet Championship at the end of this campaign. The new Saints boss will now have a mammoth task to try and lift his players to get something out of the remaining five matches of this campaign.
The addition of Westwood will undoubtedly bolster Hughes’ goalkeeping options ahead of the new campaign. Southampton have the likes of Fraser Forster, Alex McCarthy and Stuart Taylor vying for a place in their first-team. The potential acquisition of Westwood will definitely add more competition for places in Hughes’ squad, whether they manage to pull off a miracle and stay in the Premier League or not.
Read More: 3 Players Southampton Should Target To Rejuvenate Their Team Next Season!
At 33, the Republic of Ireland international still has a few years left in him to play at the top level which the Saints could look to utilise in the coming years. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Westwood and whether he ends up making a move to the St. Mary’s Stadium this summer.
