Five key areas for Southampton as transfer window reopens

Southampton have until 7pm on Monday, September 1 to add new players to Will Still's squad and sell players for their desired values.

The club have already confirmed their first addition of the summer, signing young German centre-back Joshua Quarshie from Hoffenheim.

With a rebuild on the cards at St Mary's, we have picked out five key areas to focus on as the new campaign comes closer into view.

Saints must reduce the size of the squad

Saints had a bloated squad in the Premier League. (Image: PA)

While most fans are awaiting news of who the club will add to the squad, Southampton must also reduce the size of the playing group.

"We have roughly 40 first-team players under contract, even more. So that means there will be a lot of decisions," technical director Spors told us in March.

Players like Tyler Dibling, Jan Bednarek, Mateus Fernandes and Aaron Ramsdale will naturally command interest, but Saints may struggle to offload other players.

The Paul Onuachu to Trabzonspor saga continues to rumble on, with the Turkish club unwilling to match the valuation for the Nigerian, despite their very public interest.

Southampton will not be bullied into selling for a reduced fee, but they also should not outprice teams taking an interest in players they would rather offload.

Replacement for Kyle Walker-Peters

Kyle Walker-Peters made 202 appearances during his time at Saints. (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC) Although there has been no official confirmation from the club, Kyle Walker-Peters is set to depart Saints at the end of his contract this month.

In terms of minutes played, the two-time England international has been Southampton's most important player over the last two seasons.

No player played more than Walker-Peters across the Premier League and Championship campaigns, and replacing him quickly is important.

James Bree and Yukinari Sugawara can play at right-back, but neither player has lit things up since arriving at St Mary's.

Saints have been linked with moves for Max Johnston and Kaine Kesler-Hayden, which shows this is a position they are looking at.

READ: Five right-backs Southampton should look at to replace Walker-Peters

Saints need to sign a goalkeeper

Veteran goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has one year left on his Saints contract (Image: PA) Aaron Ramsdale is not expected to remain at Saints beyond September's transfer deadline, leaving goalkeeper as another position which needs serious consideration.

In Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy, Saints do have two shot-stoppers who can perform in the Championship, but question marks surround both.

Bazunu, 23, has endured injury problems of late, but is expected to be fit in time for pre-season, while McCarthy, 35, is at the tail end of his career.

Saints have been linked with signing a new goalkeeper; however, Still may opt to test his current options in pre-season before making a decision.

But with Joe Lumley also set to depart on a free transfer, and academy goalkeepers Adli Mohamed and Josh McNamara already out the door, depth is needed.

Don't stifle Jay Robinson's development

Jay Robinson signed a new multi-year Saints contract following his senior debut. (Image: Southampton FC/Matt Watson) The emergence of Jay Robinson at the senior level was cause for optimism at the end of a long and tedious campaign of repeated disappointments.

Having excelled at under-21 level, the 18 year old was promoted to the first team shortly after the club's relegation to the Championship was confirmed.

Robinson started against Arsenal on the final day and impressed against Everton the week prior, looking every part a Premier League player in interim boss Simon Rusk's eyes.

A refresh in the wide areas is needed at St Mary's, but any new additions to the forward line should not stifle Robinson's game time.

After watching his pal Tyler Dibling break out in the Premier League, Robinson will be keen to do something similar, and should be incentivised to do so with a clear role.

READ: Robinson on learning from Lallana and his new Southampton contract

Decisions to be made on returning loan players

Adam Armstrong's goals and assists fired Saints back to the Premier League. (Image: PA) As Ryan Fraser pointed out in an interview with us during the 2023/24 Championship season, being sent out on loan as a senior player is usually the end of the road.

Fraser was speaking while on loan at Southampton from Newcastle, and eventually joined the club permanently. Saints must now decide the fate of two returning senior players.

Promotion-hero Adam Armstrong spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom, and did not hit the heights expected of him in the Midlands.

His mate Ben Brereton Diaz will return to Staplewood too after Sheffield United missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the play-off final.

Both forwards can do a job for Saints in the Championship, but were sent out on loan because of their struggles in the Premier League.

Moving the former Blackburn pair on now gives the club an opportunity to replace them with options better suited to top-flight football.

However, they run the risk of offloading two players undoubtedly good enough for the level, and Southampton's record with signing forwards does not instil confidence.