As Newcastle United struggle for options in attack, one player who left the club on loan is thriving.
Newcastle finally got rid of Ryan Fraser during the summer transfer window, with the Scotland international signing for Southampton on loan. He agreed a season-long loan deal with the Saints, and has enjoyed a bright start to his career with the Championship club.
Fraser has made 13 appearances for Southampton so far, scoring twice. They were very important goals too, grabbing late winners against Hull City and Millwall. He has been decisive for Russell Martin’s side, as he looks to move on from a disappointing spell on Tyneside.
After arriving with a lot of excitement at Newcastle United, Fraser proved to be a flop in black and white. The arrival of Eddie Howe briefly gave him a lift, only for the Toon boss to drop him from first-team and relegate him to the reserves.
That culminated in Fraser signing for Southampton on loan, and St Mary’s could end up being a permanent home for the 29-year-old.
Ryan Fraser could sign for Southampton permanently
That is the view of journalist Dean Jones, who has spoke to Give Me Sport about the possibility of Fraser signing for Southampton once his loan deal comes to an end.
“I think if Southampton get the chance to sign Ryan Fraser then it’s something that they will be jumping at if he continues to be like this,” he said.
“Not just a player, but the character that he’s shown and the personality. Southampton were crying out for identity this season and they want to see a team that is playing a certain way but also has characters within it that match who they are and what they’ve been in the past.
“Ryan Fraser obviously had to make a big decision in terms of moving down to the Championship and he didn’t want to commit himself to being at that level, but I think he’s seeing signs that Southampton won’t be at that level very long and that they can get out of it.
“And I think, yeah, Southampton will definitely want to sign Ryan Fraser permanently. It’s just a case of proving to him that this is the place for him to be.”
Permanent transfer would be perfect for Newcastle
As it stands, Fraser will be back at Newcastle United next summer. His contract at St James’ Park runs until 2025, meaning he will have one year left on his deal when this loan spell comes to an end.
Given the Magpies’ financial fair play concerns, they will be desperate to get Fraser off the wage bill. They have been unable to fully do that so far, with the Scot only leaving the club on loan.
But Dean Jones seems to believe that Southampton will try to make the deal permanent, and if the opportunity is there then you would like to think Fraser would take it.
While he still has a contract, his Newcastle career is over. He is never going to play for the club again. Even if he was still on Tyneside right now, he still probably wouldn’t get a game – even with the ongoing injury crisis.
Both parties need to go their separate ways, so hopefully Southampton make that happen in the summer of 2024.
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