EFL club on the verge of permanent Southampton transfer agreement

Southampton wide player Will Ferry is on the verge of departing the Saints on a permanent basis, with League One outfit Cheltenham Town closing in on his signature, GloucestershireLive have reported.

The 21-year-old, who is a Republic of Ireland youth international, is set to put pen-to-paper on a full-time deal with the Robins, ending a five-year association with Southampton in the process.

Ferry joined the south coast club from Bury in 2017, entering their youth system initially before turning professional as a 17-year-old.

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Primarily a winger a few years ago in the Saints under-18’s and under-23’s teams, Ferry in recent years has moved further back on the pitch to be a wing-back and sometimes a left-back.

In the 2021-22 season, Ferry spent the entire campaign in League Two with Crawley Town, making 36 fourth tier appearances for the Red Devils with one goal and three assists to his name, whilst also proving his versatility by playing in a number of different positions including on both the right and left wing.

Ferry though is set to bring fresh competition to the left wing-back spot of Wade Elliott’s 3-5-2 system at Cheltenham when his transfer is confirmed.

The Verdict

Having experienced a whole season of EFL football in 2021-22, Ferry is set to make a step up to the third tier with the Robins.

He clearly has potential as an Ireland youth international at two different age groups, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to break through into the Southampton senior setup.

Now though, he gets the chance of a fresh start and somewhere where he can potentially build his way back