Championship duo Watford and Southampton are both trying to sign FC Volendam centre-back Xavier Mbuyamba, as per Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph and Lyall Thomas.
Volendam Finally Looking To Cash In On Mbuyamba
The giant centre-back joined Volendam in September 2022 after spending time in the youth academies of Barcelona and Chelsea.
He had an excellent debut season with The Eel Farmers, playing 28 games in the Eredivisie and scoring five goals.
Mbuyamba was the subject of interest from the Hornets, Celtic and Sampdoria in the summer of 2023. The Italian club tabled three bids for the defender, with the final one being worth £2.5 million, which were all rejected.
Volendam made the Maastricht-born man their club captain heading into the 2023/24 season despite him being just 21 years of age at the time.
Unfortunately, the campaign did not go to plan for either the player or the club.
It was discovered that the former Chelsea man had an underlying heart condition which meant that he had to be fitted with a defibrillator and he was able to play just nine league games.
Volendam finished the season in 17th place, 10 points away from safety, and they got relegated to the Dutch second division.
Mbuyabma spent the 2024/25 season playing in the same division in which he made his senior debut six years earlier.
The tall centre-back thrived in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, playing 34 league games and scoring five goals as they won promotion to the first tier at the first time of asking.
This summer, the Dutch side are looking to cash in on one of their star players as he has just one year left on his contract, though his defibrillator means that he is unable to play in certain countries, such as Italy.
Where Would Mbuyamba Fit In?
Watford are certainly in need of reinforcements in the centre of defence as long-serving centre-back Francisco Sierralta and Angelo Ogbonna have departed Vicarage Road this summer.
The Chilean featured 33 times in the Championship for the Hornets last season whilst Ogbonna made six appearances last campaign.
Mbuyamba would mainly be competing with Ryan Porteous and Mattie Pollock for a spot in Watford’s starting 11, though the Hornets also have the likes of James Morris and Kevin Keben in reserve.
Southampton’s squad is already fairly well-stocked in the centre-back department, so it would be interesting to see if Mbuyamba would regularly start for Will Still’s side.
The Saints have already signed a promising young defender this summer in the form of Joshua Quarshie. According to Transfermarkt, they paid a fee of roughly £3 million for the 20-year-old, who played 20 games in the 2. Bundesliga last season.
They will also be bolstered by the return of Ronnie Edwards following the expiration of his loan at Queens Park Rangers. Edwards was one of the R’s standout players in the second half of the season and he has tremendous pedigree for England at youth level, meaning he will surely be given a chance to prove himself by Still.
Writer’s View
If Mbuyamba could get assurances from Southampton with regard to his playing time, a move to the South Coast would probably suit the young defender more than a move to Watford.
The Hornets are a notoriously volatile club and the Dutchman needs stability at this stage of his career in order to fulfil the potential that Chelsea and Barcelona saw in him.
Now that Volendam are back in the Eredivisie, signing a contract extension with the Eel Farmers may also be a good option for the 23-year-old.
