Southampton in talks to sign Everton defender Mason Holgate as Goodison Park exit news emerges

Everton are ready to offload defender Mason Holgate this summer with Southampton interested in signing him, according to The Telegraph.

The Saints are reportedly in talks to recruit the 26-year-old amid doubts over the futures of Kyle Walker-Peters and Tino Livramento, the newspaper claimed via their website on Tuesday, July 11th.

Livramento and Walker-Peters have both been linked to Newcastle (Daily Mail; GiveMeSport).

The Doncaster-born defender has occasionally displayed some ability, but overall he has been unreliable and out of his element in the Premier League.

Due to his versatility as a defender, the former England Under-21 international has been a solid choice for the team in recent years.

Holgate has, however, played more than he really should have due to Everton’s ongoing defensive injury problems, which has kind of spoiled him in the eyes of Evertonians and, maybe, for himself.

It would be best for everyone if he left Everton now rather than continuing to fill in holes when necessary if he had only played seldom.

The former West Brom loanee played just eight times in the Premier League last year, starting just five of the league games.

He didn’t participate in a single Everton victory, and in his last two outings, he was both sent off and the victim of a 3-0 home loss to Manchester City.

There is also the question of Holgate’s pay, as Football Insider revealed on 2 July, that Holgate is being offered out by Everton as a result of his automatic raise to £72,000 per week this summer.

Holgate may do well at Southampton in the Championship but in the top flight, he’s bench fodder.