Saints are set to snap up a defender from Middlesbrough

Saints look set to sign Middlesbrough's Andrew Davies, initially on a loan till January but with an agreement to buy the player for approx £1 million when the transfer window reopens.

Davies who will be 23 in December made his debut for Boro five years ago and has so far made 48 starts and 16 appearances as a sub for the Club, but has struggled to establish himself in the side,  not least because of a broken leg suffered in 2003/04, he has also had two seperate loan spells, firstly to QPR where he played 9 times and more recently to Derby in season 2005/06 where he made 24 appearances before being recalled to Middlesbrough, at Pride Park he generally impressed although one aspect of his game he needed to improve was discipline being sent off on three occasions.

He has been capped at England U21 level and at present is perhaps at the crossroads of his career where he will find it hard to break into a Premier side where the emphasis is on big money signing, but he has clearly got talent in that he has wracked up a fair few appearances in his short career.

A move to Saints will give him that chance to kick start his career, but will he be another  Davenport  is the worry of most Saints supporters.   

Photo: Action Images

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