Southampton are interested in a cut-price deal for MTK Budapest captain Mihaly Kata.
As exclusively reported by The Boot Room, Southampton are one of a number of club’s interested in a deal to sign Kata from the Hungarian side, with The City Group, SC Herenveen and a number of German clubs also interested in the exciting young midfielder.
Southampton are currently on a record-breaking unbeaten run under Russell Martin, having now gone 20 league games without tasting defeat, and look determined to return to the Premier League at the first attempt this season.
Now, the club are interested in a January deal for Kata, with fellow midfielder Joe Rothwell having already joined the Saints on loan from Bournemouth until the end of the season.
Should Southampton sign Mihaly Kata?
The priority for Southampton this month is a right winger, but a deal for Kata may not have to come at the expense of that given that he is anticipated to cost in the region of £1.5 million; a bargain in today’s market.
Therefore, the simple answer is yes they should sign Kuta if they have the opportunity, but it is a deal that is perhaps better left until the summer.
Kata is primarily a defensive midfield player but can also play as a more conventional box-to-box midfielder. Midfield is an area Southampton are very well equipped in, particularly with the addition of Rothwell already this month, so this is arguably not a deal that the club’s hierarchy should be desperately trying to pull off imminently and it may be that the Saints are better off waiting to the summer.
This will not only allow the club to focus their efforts on that illusive right wing signing, but also could mean the club are a more attractive proposition for the player if they are a Premier League side.
Flynn Downes is one of the first names on the team sheet and plays in Kata’s favoured role. With Downes’ parent club West Ham singing Kalvin Phillips, the chances of Southampton making Downes’ stay permanent in the summer have improved and he would be a very difficult man to displace if he does stay at the club. That being said, Kata is clearly very highly rated and has bundles of potential, as evidenced by the fact he has already made three competitive appearances for a decent Hungary national side ranked 27th in FIFA’s world rankings.
Should Kata sign this month then he will likely find it very difficult to have a meaningful impact this season, however a move could allow the player time to adapt to his first move outside his homeland ready to really hit the ground running next season.
With Shea Charles already acting as Downes’ deputy, you could argue that Southampton should not block the Northern Ireland international’s development by adding another option in his position. The more advanced midfield role is almost exclusively taken up by Stuart Armstrong, who continues to go from strength to strength, with the talented Carlos Alcaraz also desperate for more game time. The other midfield spot is again hotly contested, with Will Smallbone, Rothwell and current African Cup of Nations absentee Joe Aribo all battling for one spot.
You could say this is fine, as at face value this signing looms like one for the future. However, Kata is very experienced despite his age having played 126 games for MTK Budapest. Add to that the fact he is captain and has forced himself into the picture for his national side and you start to see why Kata is getting so many admiring glances from around Europe. A combination of ability and leadership credentials are always a good recipe for a footballer and Kata seems to have both in abundance.
MTK Budapest manager David Horvath was the man to give Kata the armband despite his youth and speaking to the club’s Youtube channel earlier in the season he described the 21-year-old as a player with “huge potential”.
Whilst in the short-term Southampton will certainly benefit more from a quality addition at right wing, with the likes of Amad Diallo, David Brooks and Manuel Benson all having been linked this month, in the long-term signing Kuta whilst his price is so cheap could be viewed as incredibly good business.
The TBR report states that Kata is in no rush to decide his future and this could play into Southampton’s hands, allowing them to wait until the summer to act on their interest.
Stuart Armstrong and Downes are the two mainstays of Southampton’s midfield currently but the former is 31 and the latter is at the club on loan, meaning there is potential for change in the middle of the pitch.
With Kata’s pedigree he could well be a staple of Southampton’s midfield for years to come and, at the rate he is developing, it would be no surprise to see Kata quickly become one of the Saints’ best players. Therefore, this feels like a no brainer for Southampton despite it not being the priority as it allows the club to refresh a midfield that has an uncertain longer-term future.