Everton financial hit from Southampton after Mason Holgate to Sheffield United development – Sky Sports
Southampton have not paid Everton their full loan fee for Mason Holgate after the defender moved instead to Sheffield United on Deadline Day, according to Rob Jones.
The Sky Sports journalist reported live on Sky Sports News from outside Goodison Park on 1 February after it was confirmed that the 27-year-old’s stay in the Championship had been cut short to send him to the Blades.
The defender switches loans after struggling for game time on the south coast, and as a result his move has been cut short and the money the Saints were due to pay has been as well.
Jones said: “Mason Holgate is a Sheffield United player for the second half of this Premier League season. Holgate was on loan in the first part of this season with Russell Martin’s Southampton but didn’t feature too much at all.
“Only seven appearances in all competitions, only two since the middle of November, both of those coming in the FA Cup. So he’s come back to Everton.”
“Southampton paid a loan fee for him but didn’t pay that fee in full because he only played there for the first part of the season, so off to Sheffield United.”
Less than ideal
Whether Chris Wilder’s side have agreed to pay the difference, or potentially more, to take Holgate to Bramall Lane remains to be seen.
It would surely have been necessary given the extremely right finances at Goodison Park, which left the club without anything in terms of a transfer budget, they need all the help it can get.
It is that lack of cash that means Sean Dyche ends a second January transfer window with no new signings, albeit the previous one only saw him appointed as manager at the very end of it.
On the plus side for the Toffees boss he appears to have come through without losing either of his big-money stars who were attracting widespread transfer interest from some of the biggest spenders in England and Europe – Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana.
If Holgate can kickstart his season under Wilder after a frustrating six months under Martin then perhaps he can play himself into a permanent move.
Ben Godfrey was targeted for a late move since he can’t get much of a look in, but his rare start against Fulham appears to have kept him in house at the last minute, so Holgate’s prospects back at Everton look even slimmer.
In other Everton news, an update has been given on two key exit-linked Toffees assets ahead of the deadline.
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