Most Saints fans agree that the club need to sign a quality central defender, the media also agree judging by the players linked, but does Les Reed ?

Many Saints supporters lay the blame for the problems the club has suffered in the past 18 months at it's failure to replace Jose Fonte in January 2017 and then again to replace Van Dijk in the same month this year.

But does Les Reed share the same views is the question ?

Certainly the media seem to think it is the main area we need to strengthen and we have been linked with several candidates, the latest though is a little bit under the radar and is Swansea City's Alfie Mawson.

Although the Swan's were relegated at our expense, their defence was not the reason why, only 10 teams conceded less goals than them last season, but no one scored less and that was the crux of their problem.

Mawson was seen as a leader and a rock in the defence and indeed his form earned him a call up to the full England squad for the round of friendlies in March of this year, although he did not add a full cap to his U21 honours.

Now he is being linked with a move fro Swansea and he could fit the profile that Saints are looking for.

At 24 and with two full seasons in the Premier League behind him for the Swans plus another in Barnsley's promotion winning team from League One in 2014/15 and a few spells out on loan from his first club Brentford he would appear to have that balance of age, experience and potential that Saints look for in a player.

Add to that the fact that that experience is in this country and his name would surely be appearing on Les Reed's little black box.

His current value is around the £15 million mark although that could fluctuate either way depending on interest from other clubs and Swansea's need to offload him from their wage bill.

Certainly with only two years left on his initial 4 year contract it is a delicate position for the Welsh club and that could be to Saints benefit.

So far Mawson is pretty much under the radar and that could suit Saints, after his England call up both Manchester United and Spurs were linked but that was more agents talk than anything concrete.

If Saints do fancy Mawson then they have a great opportunity to move fast and secure his services, however as we know most players are loathe to move before July 1st when they trigger a loyalty bonus under their contracts, so I don't expect much public movement till then, although hopefully Saints are doing their spade work as we speak.

Photo: Action Images

JGH added 10:33 - Jun 6 Would be a brilliant signing but fear £15m is more than a little optimistic and that there'll be significant competition for him...
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Santos added 11:24 - Jun 6 Last season I liked Maguire who we should have gone for instead of Hoedt the money paid was about the same. Lets not miss out again with this similar situation, certainly prefer Mawson to Gibson at Boro, who has been mentioned. People need to realise that just because a team gets relegated does not mean they do not have one or two decent players and like you have pointed out Swans Defence was not the issue. Get it done SFC!!

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Braveheart added 12:04 - Jun 6 I would like us to dive in and get J-Rod back?
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patred added 12:39 - Jun 6 Mawson AND Gibson would be ideal replacments Fonte and VvD. Yoshida has been a loyal servant, but he has always got a mistake or two in his game. Stephens is just not PL standard, and the juries still out on Hoedt. Bednarek is one for the future. So we need both Mawson and Gibson to provide a solid defence. Getting just one, and relying on one of those already at the club would be false ecnomy.

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Sanguin added 14:22 - Jun 6 We need a leader at the back, someone who will shout at players to maintain their concentration. Fonte and VVD were both leaders but I don’t feel that any of our current crop, including Bertrand and Cedric, offer that. If he joined Swansea from League One two years ago then I doubt his wages will be a factor In whether or not Swansea sell. I don’t know much about him, but if the price is reasonable then we should sign him up. Is Nathan Redmond the only player we’ve signed from a relegated side since we returned to the PL?

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sidsaint added 14:33 - Jun 6 Because of our dithering rather than dynamic approach we adopt via Les to our transfer dealings we often miss out on the the best player we are after and end up getting second best as Santos says with regard to Maguire last year. I was hoping that the more positive character of Mark Hughes would pressurise Les into making quicker decisions. This remains to be seen.
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highfield49 added 14:38 - Jun 6 I believe Mawson has only just had knee surgery so he's unlikely to be able to pass a medical for some weeks to come. Do we just put down a holding deposit and pay on delivery?
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KriSaint added 15:12 - Jun 6 How good is he? Good? Pretty good? Very good? Or star quality?
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LoisDeem added 15:21 - Jun 6 Just in case Les hasn't got the message: Getting and playing more and more 'centre backs' (last count 8.5) in the hope that they might work out eventually is a very flawed and school boy plan. It also devalues and debases any overall strengths elsewhere in the team (meaning we can only play 0.5 strikers at any time.) Put that in your black box and stoke it!
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BuyEastleighFC4aBtea added 17:11 - Jun 6 The one thing we all agree on is we need at least one new centre half this summer! If we are not ruthless... if I was in charge I would be... because fifth plus goals conceeded is far too many! And that's, for the most part playing under manager who focuses on a playing of defencive style game. Having said I've watched Mewson a bit & frankly he isn't an improvement on what we already have... so sign him I wouldn't what's more far to many of my fellow Saint fans are sheep lazy biranless we allow the media to manipulate their thinking? It's called brainwashed I said wake-up before you comment on a player the media mentions do your own homework on that player.. inform fans can and should demand our board does' t a better job all round.

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helpineedsomebody added 17:17 - Jun 6 2 average players these type of players will not take us back to the top 8 of the epl becouse the new owner has to be payback what he has borrowed to buy the club that comes 1st were up the yanksi without a paddle
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allsaint54 added 17:53 - Jun 6 See Leicester have just signed Jonny Evans for £3.5m, now that's what I call a bargain. Why didn't we try & snap him up?
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BuyEastleighFC4aBtea added 18:21 - Jun 6 Ok I think we all agree we need at least one Centre Half this Summer! So here are two the media in the UK haven't heard of yet! Watch them both on I tune and see what you think? The first is an u21 French international named Joris Gnagnon he's an right footer valued at approx £ 15 million. & the second player is a star Left footer valued at approx £ 30 million names Jonathan Tah now! We can get both them for less than we got for VVD this is called forward thinking... gain some knowledge and watch them both on u tube and let me know what I guys think...

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DPeps added 18:49 - Jun 6 Mawson is good but we need someone at CB with more experience. We already have a lot of promising defenders
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underweststand added 10:39 - Jun 7 Most of the CB's we've had since the L1 days looked good / played better because they had someone dependable alongside them... (in this case) Jose Fonte and he was good from day 1. In retrospect; Alan Pardew's choices of ; Fonte, Jaidi, Rickie Lambert and Hammond (and even Puncheon) were quite good at the time. All of Fonte's successive CB partners underlined how good he was at the back with his reading of the game, and he helped make them look ...a bit better than they really were. Right now we have the same problem ..a lack of experience to help bring on our younger talents (Stephens, Hoedt and Bednarek). In my mind Yoshida is the obvious choice atm... but he has few admirers on this site, but certainly we need a top rated CB to take control There are no obvious candidates in the club. Alfie Jones DAJFU at U23 level, but I don't see him as Prem. material . Whilst we search for new talent as midfield /strike force to replace those who will inevitably leave in the summer. I really don't see Mawson as being better than the young talents we already have . Would I have signed Jonny Evans ?...perhaps not, but only time will prove me wrong.

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