SAINTS are close to finalising a deal for highly-rated Feyenoord and Netherlands goalkeeper Justin Bijlow.

Bijlow, 26, bid an emotional farewell to Feyenoord supporters on Sunday having spent his entire career with De club aan de Maas up to this point.

His arrival should put a stop to the question of 'when will Saints sign a new goalkeeper?' which has been bouncing around Saints fans' minds all season.

Signing a goalkeeper who is comfortable distributing the ball with their feet under pressure was undoubtedly a key issue for Southampton this summer.

While Alex McCarthy is a strong option in most aspects of the game - and his play-off heroics will go down in club history - ball-playing is not his strongest trait.

It was his wayward pass when playing out from the back which led to Newcastle United's winning goal at St James' Park on the opening weekend.

And with regular first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu ruled out until 2025, Saints were in need of further reinforcements in the transfer market. 

Bijlow fits the required bill. Having started his youth career as an outfield player, the eight-time Dutch international is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

He ranks in the top seven per cent of goalkeepers for passes attempted per 90 minutes (40.87) when compared to other goalkeepers outside the top five division in the last year.

His 88.2 per cent pass success rate across his career reflects his ability to remain calm and execute the correct passing option while being pressed.

Justin Bijlow remains unfazed as an Excelsior forward closes him downJustin Bijlow remains unfazed as an Excelsior forward closes him down (Image: Wyscout)

In the example above, he is being pressed by an Excelsior forward. Despite the impending danger, he remains calm and picks out a Feyenoord teammate who is out of frame.

​Bijlow has a mixed passing range, meaning he is able to pick out players in good space or feed defenders to build from the back.

Pass map taken from Feyenoord's 2-1 loss against PSVPass map taken from Feyenoord's 2-1 loss against PSV (Image: Wyscout)

In keeping with Martin's preference to play out rather than kick long, the majority of Bijlow's passes are short. Last season his average pass length was 25.2 yards.

For comparison, Bazunu averaged a marginally higher 25.5 yards, while Everton's Jordan Pickford has an average of 42 yards.

That's not to say Bijlow is unwilling to go long. He's shown an ability to quicken the pace when playing out from the back if a teammate is free in the wide areas.

Justin Bijlow receives a pass from one of his defenders before spraying the ball out wide to get Feyenoord in a good positionJustin Bijlow receives a pass from one of his defenders before spraying the ball out wide to get Feyenoord in a good position (Image: Wyscout)

Feyenoord are now in the attacking half with space to run into having been facing their own goal moments agoFeyenoord are now in the attacking half with space to run into having been facing their own goal moments ago (Image: Wyscout)

Bijlow's tendency to control the ball with the sole of his boot allows him to distribute more comfortably.

In tight spaces, it serves as a way to bait opponents into a press. When he has space it allows him to get the ball out of his feet quickly without the risk of a dodgy first touch.

An important characteristic for ball-playing goalkeepers is knowing when to abandon ship and clear your lines.

Bijlow has shown a willingness to do that - although his decision-making will come under more scrutiny in the Premier League.

Bijlow's shotstopping ability is good without being anything extraordinary. For those who subscribe to expected goals, he is currently operating at -0.09 for post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed.

Justin Bijlow produces a top save with his foot to deny Celtic's Luis PalmaJustin Bijlow produces a top save with his foot to deny Celtic's Luis Palma (Image: Wyscout)

This stat suggests that he has conceded the amount of goals you would expect him to based on the quality of the efforts he has faced.

For comparison, Bazunu is operating at -0.3, McCarthy is at -0.2 and Liverpool's Allison is at +0.02.

He also has a strong command of his box. Around 14 per cent of the crosses Feyenoord faced last season were stopped by Bijlow.

This ranks him as one of the highest performers outside of Europe's top five divisions. Another real fixture of Bijlow's game is his willingness to race off his line to sweep. 

No goalkeeper outside of the top five divisions managed more defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90 minutes (2.95) in the last year.

It was his willingness to race out to tackle attackers that led to the most iconic moment of his career so far.

Having tackled the ball out for a throw-in in a game against FC Twente, Bijlow acted quickly to throw an additional ball onto the pitch to prevent a quick throw-in.

While not something we are likely to see repeated, it does demonstrate he is willing to perform the 'dark arts' - something Martin is desperate to see from his Saints players this season.

Justin Bijlow's injury historyJustin Bijlow's injury history (Image: Transfermarkt)

One question mark surrounding Bijlow is his fitness history. Two separate injuries caused him to miss more than 25 games last season.

According to transfermarkt, Bijlow's injury issues have seen him miss 189 games since 2018/19.

Southampton bosses are confident that their medical team are capable of getting more out of players. This could help negate his tendency for injuries, but it is a worrying sign.