James Bree’s time at Charlton Athletic is now uncertain as the expiration of his loan from Southampton looms.
The arrival of Harry Clarke this month coincides with the conclusion of the full-back’s agreement with the Addicks after he arrived on a temporary basis in the summer.
Given Bree’s contract with the Saints is also set to expire at the end of the campaign, a decision will need to be made regarding his future.
The 28-year-old, who signed for the Saints from Luton for £750k, has featured 20 times in the Championship so far this season, contributing two goals and three assists in Nathan Jones’ side.
However, he could struggle to find game time at St. Mary’s upon his return later this month, with Tom Fellows and Elias Jelert sharing the wing-back duties in Tonda Eckert’s side so far this term.
Southampton urged to give James Bree a chance
When asked about Bree’s future at St. Mary’s, FLW’s Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders claimed that the defender is potentially better than Jelert or Mads Roerslev, and should be given a chance in the team.
He has also claimed that he is better suited to playing as a full-back instead of wing-back, suggesting a change should be made to better get the most out of the squad.
“I think he’s a good player, James Bree, I’m surprised we let him go,” Sanders told Football League World.
“Roerslev’s come in, he’s experienced but he’s spent the whole time injured, made no impact whatsoever and, actually, Bree looks a better player than Roerslev probably, in my opinion.
“Elias Jelert in on loan, how long will he stay for? I think Bree is probably a better player than him as well, so I’d bring him back to be quite honest, unless Charlton are ready to pay a load of money for him.
“But Saints don’t play full-backs, they play wing-backs, so it’s like where does he fit when you play wing-backs?
“I wish we didn’t play wing-backs, I think every Southampton fan wishes we [wouldn’t] play wing-backs, but we do.”
Southampton will have until 2 February to cash in on any potential in Bree, or else they will risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
Of course, they could also find an agreement with the player to extend his time with the club, but a lack of game time could dissuade him from any kind of deal.
The Saints are aiming to earn promotion back to the Premier League but are currently 15th in the table and eight points adrift of a play-off place.
James Bree could have a role at Southampton
Bree’s place in the Southampton side is far from guaranteed upon his likely return later this month.
The Saints will need to make a decision quickly on his future, as losing him for nothing in the summer should be avoided.
The full-back has shown he is still more than capable of playing at this level, and he could potentially even have a role to play in Eckert’s side, if given a chance.
Roerslev’s injury has been unfortunate, and Jelert’s future at the club is also uncertain, so integrating him back into the team might make some sense, but it remains to be seen whether he could adapt his game to play as a wing-back in this squad.
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