Why Signing Aaron Mooy Would Help Southampton Finish In The Top-6 Next Season
Claude Puel has done a decent job with the Southampton side but he is no different from the previous managers and is set to lose some of his star players before the start of the next season. The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Bertrand have all but already quit the club but that has not stopped the manager from trying to improve the squad at the other end of the field.
This has seen him get linked with a move for Manchester City want-away Aaron Mooy. After a stellar campaign with the now Premier League outfit Huddersfield, the central midfielder became one of the most in-demand stars in the Championship and also at the lower half of the Premier League.
Playing as a defensive midfielder, Mooy has 4 goals and 10 assists in all competitions to his name in the Championship and was one of the best players in the competition in his position. He helped Huddersfield achieve a shocking promotion and has shown that he is ready for the challenges of the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola is also looking for players who can provide backup in that position but does not deem the Australian midfielder as an option next season and he could be offloaded to any club that meets his valuation of around £10m this summer.
At this price, he could be the perfect addition for the Southampton side, who will be fighting for a place in Europe next season. Puel has used the 4-2-3-1 system to good effect this season, as his backline has been solid. He might lose Van Dijk this summer but has some decent players in mind to replace him and if he can add Mooy to his midfield, that will solve their crisis at the back too.
Jordy Claise, Oriol Romeu, Steven Davies and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have all been used in this role this season and Southampton might lose one of them to the top clubs in the league. So they will look to add some quality to this lineup and Mooy could be their best bet.
At just £10m, Aston Villa and Huddersfield are also interested in a permanent move for the 26-year old and it will be interesting to see if Southampton can acquire his services. If they can, his ability to hold fort in the middle of the park and control the game might help Southampton to finally reach the top-6 places in the Premier League.