Should Southampton face a similar decimation of their starting XI as they did in the last off-season break, would they be able to recover? Or would the losses be too great to bear?
Between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons the Saints saw the departures of a number of players which were key to Mauricio Pochettino’s eighth placed finishing side.
Key defensive partner to José Fonte, Dejan Lovren, departed the South coast club to join Liverpool, accompanied by the club’s top goal scorer for that season Rickie Lambert and captain Adam Lallana.
Promising young fullbacks Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers also left for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, leaving the club without a total of five players who were regular features in the previous year’s first-choice team.
After suffering such significant losses from the squad in midfield, attack and predominantly defence, many were predicting a tough season for the Saints, with some even going so far as to say that they were relegations candidates.
Evidently, new coach Ronald Koeman sufficiently rebuilt and evened strengthened that squad to the extent where they not only maintained but improved upon their last season’s form. Bringing in striker Graziano Pellè, attackers Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mané and finally defensive duo Toby Alderweireld and Ryan Bertrand, the Dutch coach was able to lead his side to a best ever seventh finish.
The question is raised however, if the same were to happen this season would the man in charge and club be able to combine to cover the losses?
With the window opening in a few weeks the wheeling and dealing is well and truly under way and amidst all the talk and rumours we should look at who the Saints are most likely to lose this transfer season.
Nathaniel Clyne
The 24-year-old right-back has had his future questioned for the majority of this year and at this stage it would almost be more surprising not to see the exciting prospect part ways with the South coast side. The England international has said that he would be happy to extend his time with Southampton but has done little to quash any rumours that he will be plying his trade elsewhere next season.
Throughout the season Manchester United have been touted as the most likely destination for the starlet, but in recent times it seems that Liverpool are the more likely, allegedly already having had a £10 million bid knocked back.
The Englishman has made 35 appearances in the league for the club this season, Toby Alderweireld seems the only one in the current squad able to cover the position so should Clyne leave there would undoubtedly have to be a new man brought in.
Morgan Schneiderlin
With the number of rumours flying around in the last mid-year window and the players walking out the door it seemed certain that there would be a day where the Frenchman’s name lit up the headlines as the most recent departure. Fortunately for Southampton fans, this was not the case and the club benefited from the defensive-midfielder’s services for another year.
Playing in April before an injury put him out of contention for the club’s last few games, many believe that they will be his last for the club with Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal all showing interest. A reported £25 million price tag may deter potential suitors though.
A few injuries limited Schneiderlin’s involvement to 26 games but he was still a key man in the side from St Mary’s midfield.
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Victor Wanyama
Another important cog in Koeman’s 2014-15 squad, the Kenyan’s good performances this term have seen Premier League clubs sit up and take notice.
His most likely destination would seem Arsenal, with the 23-year-old saying that it “would be nice” to join the FA Cup winners it now seeming more up to the club’s interest in the player.
32 EPL appearances show the manager’s confidence in the young defensive-midfielder and his importance to the side.
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Of course many other rumours are in the news already with many more sure to soon join them but these three of Koeman’s core XI seem, at the moment, the most probably departures from St Mary’s in the coming months.
Can Koeman cover them should they decide to leave though? Surely not without using, what fans would hope to be hefty, sums gained from the sales of their talents to bring in top class players from other clubs or leagues.
Koeman has demonstrated that he can do exactly that before and, with continued presence in the top end of the Premier League table, it would hopefully be even easier than previous years to attract high quality players to the club.
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