Struggling to establish himself at Southampton, Wesley Hoedt‘s tenure on the South Coast of England looks to now be over. Departing the Premier League, the Dutch defender has signed on for the remainder of the season with Spanish side Celta Vigo. While initially signing a loan contract, it is being reported that Hoedt may make a permanent move during the Summer.
Southampton’s Wesley Hoedt Signs On-Loan with Celta Vigo
The move to Celta Vigo completes a rough 18-months of action for Hoedt. Joining Southampton in August of 2017, Hoedt instantly became a main member of the Saints first team. Appearing in 31 matches last season, Hoedt maintained a starting role under both Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes. Despite this role, Hoedt was far from a top performer as he consistently struggled for form.
#SaintsFC can confirm that @wesleyhoedt has today joined #Celta on loan until the end of the season. Find out more: https://t.co/eTffVxv7Kr
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 22, 2019
Despite this, Hoedt entered the 2018/19 campaign as one of Mark Hughes‘ preferred centre-backs. However, while Hoedt managed to retain his first team position, his form completely plummeted. Committing a number of errors throughout the first half of the season, the Dutchman became a huge defensive liability for Southampton.
Losing the trust of the supporters, the final nail in Hoedt’s coffin came with the managerial appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl. Dropped from the first team, Hoedt was quickly sent out to pasture by the Austrian boss. The most critical knock coming recently when Hasenhuttl revealed that he thought Hoedt should leave the club.
“For Wesley it can be the same as Manolo Gabbiadini and Steven Davis. We don’t send any player away but if he feels like he is not used like wants from us, he should think about it.”
However, despite all these negatives, his move to Celta Vigo may be the perfect medicine for the Dutchman. Soon to be 25-years old, Hoedt is still a young player. With plenty of growth possible, Hoedt should find himself under less pressure in Spain. Combining that with an increase in minutes and Hoedt could finally find his footing once more.
Of course, such development would extremely benefit Celta Vigo. Currently fourth from the bottom in La Liga, the Spanish club are in need of some reinforcements. Providing depth and options at centre-back, the signing of Hoedt could prove to be a major boost for the club. Also of note for both is the fact that Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal is currently playing on-loan for Celta Vigo. A fact that could aid Wesley Hoedt in his transition to the club.
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