Hasenhuttl missed out on his own Modric

Southampton ended their 11-year keep within the Premier League on the finish of final season as they had been relegated again right down to the Championship.

Their drop to the second tier of English soccer was a fruits of a number of years of poor recruitment as they did not construct a squad that was able to comfortably avoiding relegation.

Nonetheless, issues may have been totally different in the event that they had been capable of get a few of the targets that they wished and had been unsuccessful in signing up to now.

*Includes the sell-on fee that Chelsea obtained from his transfer to Newcastle United this summer time.

One participant who the Saints did not get a deal over the road for again in 2019 was a proficient younger gem who may have been their very own model of Actual Madrid and Croatia famous person Luka Modric.

Had been Southampton excited about Yari Verschaeren?

In September 2019, it was reported that the membership had been excited about signing Belgian teen Yari Verschaeren from Anderlecht, who was valued at round $15m (£12m) on the time.

The outlet claimed that the then-Premier League outfit had been getting ready a proposal to signal the promising expertise. Nonetheless, a transfer by no means materialised and he remained in his residence nation.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was the supervisor of the membership on the time and was seemingly eager to bolster his squad by including the thrilling midfielder to his ranks, however chairman Les Reed was unable, or opted not, to safe a deal.

Verschaeren had made his debut for the Belgium nationwide group earlier that month and was beginning to set up himself as a key participant for Anderlecht at senior degree.

The attacking midfielder assisted one objective in seven U19 video games for the Belgian membership and went on to make his first-team breakthrough throughout the 2018/19 campaign.

He produced one objective and 4 assists in ten Professional League video games after which managed one strike in ten play-off matches on the finish of the season.

The Saints goal scored two targets and assisted one in 21 league outings for Anderlecht the next marketing campaign because the English membership confirmed curiosity in securing his companies throughout that season.

What’s Verschaeren doing now?

Since Southampton did not snap him up throughout the 2019/20 time period, Verschaeren has hit his stride at first-team degree and been a constantly spectacular performer in his residence nation over the previous few years.

Earlier this yr, Anderlecht head coach Brian Riemer lavished praise on the 22-year-old maestro as he described him as an “unbelievable” participant who’s “like Luka Modric”.

This was supremely excessive reward from the Belgium worldwide’s supervisor as Luka Modric is a extremely adorned midfielder who has been on the high of the sport for a lot of, many, years.

On the age of twenty-two, Verschaeren nonetheless has loads of time to achieve these heights and make a reputation for himself in a significant European league. Nonetheless, he has been catching the attention along with his performances for Anderlecht in current seasons.

The proficient ace, who was as soon as valued at £12m, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.91 throughout 36 Professional League outings all through the 2021/22 marketing campaign and contributed with seven targets and 4 assists from midfield.

He adopted that up with a median Sofascore rating of 6.95 over 27 league matches final season for the Belgian giants, during which time he scored one objective and created seven ‘huge possibilities’ for his teammates.

In the meantime, solely Mohammed Salisu (7.04) and James Ward-Prowse (7.23) averaged a higher Sofacore rating within the Premier League for the Saints final time period. This means that the Hasenhuttl goal may have been a high performer for the membership if he was bale to translate his performances over to English soccer.

The Modric-like ace additionally produced wonderful performances on the European stage. Varschaeren averaged a superb Sofascore rating of 7.19 over ten Europa Convention League clashes as he chipped in with two targets and two assists to associate with 2.2 tackles and interceptions per recreation.

As you may see within the chart above, the Anderlecht star ranks extremely among his positional peers within the Males’s Subsequent 14 Competitions relating to progressing the ball by way of carries and making an influence on the high finish of the pitch.

He’s just like Modric, in that sense, because the Actual Madrid star additionally excels in these statistics amongst gamers in his place throughout the Males’s Large 5 League and European competitions.

Their respective statistics during the last three hundred and sixty five days counsel that they’re comparable in fashion as they’re each distinctive at carrying the ball ahead for his or her groups from a central midfield place, while in addition they have the standard to influence matches with targets and assists once they get into superior areas.

Nonetheless, Verschaeren has an extended option to go earlier than he can come near matching Modric’s standing throughout the recreation, because the Croatia worldwide has a hefty trophy cupboard.

What number of trophies has Modric received for Actual Madrid?

The 38-year-old wizard, who received the Ballon d’Or in 2018, has racked up 23 trophies throughout his time with the Spanish giants, which incorporates 5 Champions League titles, up to now.

He has additionally amassed 495 appearances and contributed with 37 targets and 77 assists from midfield, which implies that he has averaged one objective contribution each 4.34 video games.

Whereas, Verschaeren has scored 23 targets and assisted 21 in 154 matches for Anderlecht to this point. This works out as a direct objective involvement as soon as each 3.57 outings on common.

Each gamers have confirmed that they’re able to chip in with targets and assists on a semi-regular foundation to go alongside their progressive carrying expertise in the midst of the park.

Subsequently, Hasenhuttl, Reed, and Southampton had a nightmare with their failure to signal Verschaeren from Anderlecht in 2019 as he has developed into an impressive younger expertise who’s now incomes himself comparisons to a legendary participant in his place.

They may have benefitted from his means on the pitch, as proven by his aforementioned efficiency ranges compared to final season’s squad at St. Mary’s, within the short-term while additionally having a participant with the potential to develop and enhance additional.