Southampton and Newcastle United agreement might be the most underrated of the season: View | OneFootball

Ryan Fraser has started to prove his worth to Southampton this season after a slow start - and it could be the most underrated transfer of the campaign.

The Scot had been out of the first-team picture at Newcastle United after signing on in 2020 under the guise of Steve Bruce, and despite former boss Eddie Howe taking the reins, he clearly didn't fancy the wide man on Tyneside - leading to a deal being made with Russell Martin's men in the summer.

After a slow start, Fraser has found his feet for the promotion chasers - but with the amount of signings coming into the Championship, his recent form of late could well mean he's an incredibly underrated deal to have landed in to their ranks.

Since joining the Saints at the end of the transfer window, it took Fraser some time to get going - enduring eight games without a goal or assist, before he finally got to work with a late goal in the 2-1 away defeat to Hull City in mid-October.

Since then, it’s been non-stop action for the diminutive winger. In the 21 games since, he’s registered six goals and two assists from the left wing; an especially strong tally given that he’s only started nine of those games.

With Samuel Edozie and Stuart Armstrong acting as the first-choice wingers, Fraser had to be patient for his chance at St, Mary’s but he now seems to be reaping those rewards with some strong performances from the wide positions.

That was proven with his start and goal against West Brom on Friday evening.

Why Southampton's signing of Ryan Fraser could be the most underrated of the season

It's a signing that hadn't really been talked about in the circles on the south coast. Whilst only Ryan Manning and Shea Charles have been the permanent incomings of note on the south coast, other loan signings including Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ arrivals were more highly regarded, alongside the winter additions of Joe Rothwell and David Brooks.

But Fraser has quietly gone about his business and is now beginning to show his worth to the Saints’ front line.

The former Bournemouth star is only 29, and after losing his way in the Premier League under Newcastle’s takeover, he seems to have found his feet in the second-tier on the south coast once again - and he’s already just one goal off equalling his best-ever in a league season, with his personal best being the seven Premier League goals he scored for the Cherries in 2018-19.

What’s more is that Fraser could add to his Scotland caps if he continues his strong form. Having amassed 26 so far in his career, he hasn’t played for the Tartan Army since 2022 - and with a plethora of options to compete with, the Aberdeen academy product is beginning to show his worth once more.

Ryan Fraser's Newcastle United future

Fraser was frozen out of the Newcastle picture last season by former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, who he played his best football under at the Vitality Stadium.

This time last year, Fraser was demoted to the under-21 picture at St. James’ Park after being frozen out of the side since October, and the Daily Mail suggested that Fraser’s future was set to lie elsewhere with game time becoming a real issue on the north east coast.

Of course, the acquisitions of Anthony Gordon last winter and Harvey Barnes this summer have made that even tougher to come by, alongside the exploits of Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron and even Matt Ritchie ahead of him in the pecking order.