It has been revealed this afternoon by Ryan Whelan on the Real EFL that Premier League side Southampton are monitoring and considering a move for young Imps defender Sean Roughan in the summer.
The young Irishman broke through into the first team in 2020 under previous manager Michael Appleton at just seventeen years of age. He made his debut in a Carabao Cup win against Crewe Alexandra, and continued to start in the league before dropping out the side after a poor showing against Portsmouth. That led to the emergence of Tayo Edun as Appleton’s first choice left-sided full-back, meaning the youngster had limited opportunities in the side.
With the signing of Cohen Bramall in January 2021 and the later signing of Jamie Robson to replace Edun in the summer of 2022, many considered Roughan’s Imps’ career to be falling away. However, after an impressive loan spell with Drogheda United in the Irish top division and a change of management, the nineteen year old has become a stalwart of Mark Kennedy’s side and has been a crucial player as we battle our way to a second best EFL finish in over forty years. His versatility is a real asset for City too, with the Irish U21 international being able to operate as a wing-back in a five, a full-back in a four and a centre-half in both a four and a five if needed.
Robson became a casualty of the form of Roughan, having to leave the club in January for Forest Green Rovers, in search of more consistent game-time. Harry Boyes has had a similar story since joining the club on loan too, and has only played when Roughan has been injured or away with the Irish Under 21 National Team, which he has been for a few weeks now.
Roughan has previously been on trial with The Saints in 2021, but despite showing impressive qualities, they turned him down and he returned back to the Imps. It now appears though, that the club from the south coast of England are keen on the City academy graduate again and are looking for a potential deal in the summer at a cut price with Roughan’s contract set to expire.
Unlike a senior player, if Roughan was to decline a new deal in favour of a move to Southampton, he still would command a fee as he is under twenty-three. While this could be a good opportunity, he is still very young and I personally think remaining at Lincoln City and playing regular League One football for another season would be much more valuable than making a headline move too early.
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