Everton star could be allowed to leave Everton in January with Southampton now in the hunt to sign the Englishman, according to Neil Moxley [Sunday People,].
The 26-year-old has fallen considerably down the pecking order at Goodison Park and the financial issues afoot mean that the Toffees could look to cash in on Holgate while they still can.
The Saints, now managed by Nathan Jones after Ralph Hasenhuttl’s sacking, are said to be desperate for a new centre-half in their own battle with relegation.
Jan Bednarek is due to return from a loan at Aston Villa but Jones wants another new face to choose from and Holgate is firmly on their minds as the January transfer window opens.
Holgate has not played a Premier League game since August and last featured for Everton in the Carabao Cup when Bournemouth ran riot against the Toffees.
No loss
Lampard probably sees the 26-year-old as his sixth-choice central defender and it is not particularly healthy to have that many senior options all taking up a significant portion of the wage budget.
Only an injury crisis in the next couple of weeks might change the manager’s mind on Holgate’s future and it isn’t really the defender’s fault either after Conor Coady and James Tarkowski came in and made such a big impact from the off.
Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and even Michael Keane also trump Holgate at Finch Farm and the last thing he wants is to be sitting on his backside doing nothing other than training day in, day out.
A move to the South Coast might do him the world of good and while it could also strengthen a relegation rival, Lampard and Farhad Moshiri might need a transfer to happen in order to get that striker they so desperately need themselves.
