Southampton Opinion: Saints should move for Kik Pierie in the summer
According to the Calciomercato, Southampton are interested in making a move for Heerenveen starlet Kik Pierie in the summer, with Eredivisie giants Ajax reportedly leading the chase for the 18-year-old versatile defender.
Pierie made his senior Eredivisie debut for Heerenveen in the 2016-17 season and established himself as a regular starter at the back last term.
The youngster’s red-hot form has put him on the radar of Southampton, who are apparently looking to invest in promising young talents with Ralph Hasenhuttl at the helm of affairs.
The Boston-born starlet has accumulated 2 goals and 3 assists from 24 starts in the Eredivisie this term, thanks to his versatility to play at both left-back and centre-back. Pierie has made a total of 64 appearances in all competitions for Heerenveen at the tender age of 18 and has also been a regular for the Netherlands at all youth levels upto U19.
To put things into perspective, Kik Pierie looks destined to achieve big things, having enjoyed a bright start to his career, and the Saints should not hesitate to raid the Dutch top flight once again to bolster their squad.
Southampton have raided the Eredivisie for players like Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle in recent years, both of whom went on to make a positive impact, and Kik Pierie might be the next in the queue as Hasenhuttl aims to build a solid core of young players at St.Mary’s.
Pierie’s greatest asset is his versatility to play in multiple positions across the backline. The youngster has made a name for himself with his calmness, composure and consistency at the back, earning rave reviews for his understanding of the game at such a young age.
Strong on the tackle and quick at making decisions, Pierie has shown an incredible level of discipline very early in his career, collecting only 3 bookings in 24 league games this season.
Quick across the ground, decent in the air and very useful with his willingness to drive forward and chip in with a few intelligent passes, the teenager also likes to stay on his feet to intercept and clear his lines.
The 18-year-old boasts of a pass accuracy percentage of 80.1, averaging 2 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 5.3 clearances and 1.6 aerial duels in the Eredivisie this season, figures which speak volumes of his rapid development as a versatile defensive asset.
Pierie is a regular for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie and for the Netherlands at the youth level but Southampton are probably looking at him as a long-term investment.
A step up to the Premier League would represent a massive challenge to the youngster both in terms of quality and intensity, but with Hasenhuttl in charge, he might be drafted into the first-team picture should a move materialize in the summer.
Yan Valery has established himself as a regular under the Austrian and there is no reason why someone like
The Saints are currently pretty well-stocked in their options at the back, with Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida all in the ranks at St.Mary’s.
However, Pierie has the talent and the potential to increase competition for places, and his versatility of being able to play on the left should give him a chance of competing with the likes of Ryan Bertrand and Matt Targett.
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Southampton, under Hasenhuttl, have reinstated their faith in recruiting young talents from across the continent and this can be seen as a step in the right direction as the Saints look to make their way back into the upper echelons of the Premier League.
Kik Pierie is one of the most sought after young talents in the Netherlands and Southampton would strike gold by beating off competition to get their hands on the coveted teenage sensation.
