Southampton have a slim chance of signing out-of-favour Everton winger, David Henen this summer. The 22-year-old has not featured in even a single senior team game for the Toffees during his 4-year association with the club. He has expressed a deep sense of homesickness and is looking to quit the Premier League outfit.
This could prove to be a major stumbling block for the Saints or any of the other interested parties but the promise of regular football could always play a part in swaying the player’s final decision. Henen signed with Olympiakos in the summer of 2014 and was immediately sent out on loan to the Goodison Park-based outfit.
He was regarded highly in the books of Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman but could never get on the good side of Sam Allardyce. He has appeared sporadically for the U23 side and managed to earn some first-team football while out on loan to Fleetwood Town.
Henen’s primary years were spent with Belgian outfits, Royal Excelsior Vitor, Royal Standard de Liege and RSC Anderlecht before being sent out on loan to AS Monaco.
All over it has been a very difficult road for the 22-year-old to make it into the European top-flight. His playing career has very little first-team experience and is still in a development phase.
His 24 Belgium youth side appearances give us a hint of his future potential but his recent past says otherwise. Southampton are on the brink of relegation to the Championship and will be needing able professionals next season if they want to bounce back to the Premier League anytime soon.
Henen is capable of doing a bit of everything in the final third of the pitch. His talents are better suited to the wings but can still be utilized in more central locations like that of a striker or an attacking midfielder.
Some of their biggest names like Nathan Redmond, Dusan Tadic and Sofiane Boufal might also look to find an escape if the Saints end up falling through the cracks. This would open up big role for Henen but how much of it can he really handle?
That is a big ask to fill the boots of the aforementioned players. Tadic and Redmond are guaranteed starters with a lot of Premier League experience and Boufal is not short of top-pedigree talent either.
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Maybe Southampton should be looking into more proven talents than that of Henen.
