Ralph Hasenhuttl will reportedly be eyeing defensive reinforcements this January when the transfer window reopens for business.
Is Hasenhuttl still the right man for the job?
Yes, he needs more time
No, he's out of ideas
According to The Sun as well as The Mirror via HITC, the Austrian manager will receive the backing of the board to make up to three new signings in January, with a ‘top-quality’ centre-back and a right-back Hasenhuttl’s main priority this winter as the club aim to shore-up their extremely leaky backline.
As the Premier League table shows, Southampton have been one of the worst sides defensively this season, with the south coast side conceding the most goals out of any team in the English top-flight this campaign and being on the losing end of what will seemingly be the highest scoring defeat this year after a 9-0 loss to Leicester City.
Indeed, signing new defenders is and should be Hasenhuttl’s main priority when the transfer window opens in just over seven weeks, with Southampton claiming just two wins all season, reinforcing the backline will be crucial from the Saints slipping into a dangerous position in the relegation zone.
With Southampton three points away from safety, Hasenhuttl can’t afford to be wasteful with who he signs in January as we have seen the club do in this window on more than a few occasions, with the most infamous winter signing being still club-record signing Guido Carrillo from Monaco in 2017.
Improving the defence is seemingly Hasenhuttl’s key to keeping Southampton up this season, and when the doors for business open again in January, the Austrian manager will need to be sure that he signs the right players that fit the profile of the club and have the qualities needed to help the side in the second half of the season.
