Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, kjurwi said:

Would still want us to go for Victor Johansson at Stoke. 

Great shout.

[Monk]

11 hours ago, kjurwi said:

Would still want us to go for Victor Johansson at Stoke. 

Ditto. 

[tdmickey3]

17 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

17 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

Great shout.

Yep, but probably end up with Victor (meldrew) from Kettering

Edited Saturday at 16:38 by tdmickey3

[SteveGc]

http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-midfielder-makes-it-clear-he-has-transfer-aim-wants-return-to-old-club/
 

Fernandes apparently wants return to Sporting 

[daldridge7]

1 hour ago, SteveGc said:

http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-midfielder-makes-it-clear-he-has-transfer-aim-wants-return-to-old-club/
 

Fernandes apparently wants return to Sporting 

Yeah he does but isn’t this out of context, doesn’t he mean at some point he would like to play for Sporting again, not just that he wants to be sold straight back. I definitely think he will leave, but there’s no point him closing off his options when there will probably at least be interest from bigger teams. 

[Appy]

On 26/04/2025 at 08:59, Monk said:

Ditto. 

Same but we’ll probably plod on with the three stooges. Bazunu, McCarthy and Lumley. 

Edited Sunday at 13:53 by Appy

[Matthew Le God]

1 hour ago, SteveGc said:

http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-midfielder-makes-it-clear-he-has-transfer-aim-wants-return-to-old-club/
 

Fernandes apparently wants return to Sporting 

I'd be surprised if that was his next move. He may just want to return at some point in the future, perhaps towards end of career.

I doubt Sporting Lisbon could afford either his transfer fee or wages for next season.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

19 minutes ago, daldridge7 said:

Yeah he does but isn’t this out of context, doesn’t he mean at some point he would like to play for Sporting again, not just that he wants to be sold straight back. I definitely think he will leave, but there’s no point him closing off his options when there will probably at least be interest from bigger teams. 

Yup. The quote noticeably avoids any timescales.

Making his desire clear about his future, Fernandes said: “I want to return to Sporting.”

Could be where he wants to end his career, for all that makes clear.

[Miltonaggro]

26 minutes ago, Appy said:

Same but we’ll probably plod on when the three stooges. Bazunu, McCarthy and Lumley. 

Perhaps Spors’ first test of competence at season end. If he can’t see it already we are in real trouble. Without ramsdale we’d have made that Derby side look like Real Madrid this season. Ramsdale will be off early so need a new number one in for pre-season. 

[West end Saints]

I think the league will be marginally weaker than  when we got promoted.

Our main 11, on appearance times, was 

Bazunu

 

KWP

Bednarek 

THB

Manning

 

Smallbone

Downes

Stu Armstrong

 

Ryan F

Che

Adam A

Manager Martin

Surely with players who stay, half decent manager, a few good youngsters coming through and a couple of signings we will be stronger?

I feel Shea Charles could be central for us.

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

13 minutes ago, West end Saints said:

I think the league will be marginally weaker than  when we got promoted.

Our main 11, on appearance times, was 

Bazunu

 

KWP

Bednarek 

THB

Manning

 

Smallbone

Downes

Stu Armstrong

 

Ryan F

Che

Adam A

Manager Martin

Surely with players who stay, half decent manager, a few good youngsters coming through and a couple of signings we will be stronger?

I feel Shea Charles could be central for us.

 

Yeah, I feel this too - mainly because he’s a central defensive midfielder perhaps? 😉

[woodsaint1]

While I accept that we dont need to make wholesale changes this summer....we do need wholesale changes by summer 2026 if we want to be a competitive PL team again (if we get promoted). We could be forced into doing a large chunk of that this summer.

If you take our regular starting team we're definitely losing KWP and Big Les. We're also very likely losing Ramsdale, Dibling and Fernandes. Wouldnt be surprised if one or two others tried to force a move also.

Yes we're going to need to rely on some of those players who've let us down this season (and even 22/23) but we need to keep that number to a bare minimum and they need to be squad fillers only. If we're starting next season with Bazunu, Bednarek, Stephens, Bree, Manning, Sulemana, AA or Onuachu as regular starters - then our recruitment hasnt been good enough and we're making the same mistakes again.

We likely need 6/7 new starters imo

[goodymatt]

 

[CSA96]

Fair enough. Really wouldn't mind freshening up the CB positions, we're overloaded with players in that position and it feels like we've been turning out Bednarek and Stephens forever and a day now. Creates room for Edwards, would need to add another if/when THB goes and then Stephens and Wood can be the backups

Bednarek is a good Championship player but we're probably overdue for a parting of the ways there

[Oisin]

I just feel like I’ve seen more than enough of him playing for us, normally not quite well enough.

Careful what you wish for I guess, but I’d be happy to see him move on.

[Saint86]

Think we will lose Bednarek and ABK at CB. Hopeful of keeping THB.

THB, Woods, Stephens, Edwards - that is a decent enough set of CBs for the championship (if we play with 4 at the back)... Preferably we start THB and Edwards from those 2, and i think both can develop into good players for saints.

Manning on the left (wellington, and dare i say it, Larios, as backups). Sugarawara and Bree and RB. Its solid if not spectacular. Could it be improved - absolutely, but there are likely to be other areas that need it more.

Where we are strongest is in our starting CM for next season i think - excited to see if we can play Charles and Downes as holding and central mids in a 3man central midfield. Hopefully keeping one of Dibling or fernandes to play in front of them. Failing that Aribo, and Smallbone could also play in front of them but obviously we'd like to see some improvements there. Depth wise we'll be a bit weak for that kind of setup however.

Have to assume that Sulemana is finally leaving, so wide attackers are weak... Edozie, keep AA? Maybe dibling... Significant improvements needed there at any rate - especially in the depth department. A shame we've let SAA go 😕

Then up front its Stewart, Onuachu, and Archer... Can we get a tune out of them or do we just reset?

GK....

Edited 4 hours ago by Saint86

[SuperSAINT]

I would assume no chance of THB staying - especially with his patented change of agent pre-summer.

[LeBizzier69]

1 minute ago, SuperSAINT said:

I would assume no chance of THB staying - especially with his patented change of agent pre-summer.

And hairdo.

[skintsaint]

26 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

 Failing that Aribo

 

Believe he stated he is off at the end of the season.

[SouSaint]

44 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

 

Great stuff, hopefully someone takes that bait. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, goodymatt said:

 

No major loss to be fair.

[Wade Garrett]

42 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

I would assume no chance of THB staying - especially with his patented change of agent pre-summer.

He might find out in the Summer that he’s not as good as he thinks he is.  Can’t see much interest from the Premier League  in him.

[Osvaldorama]

1 hour ago, Oisin said:

I just feel like I’ve seen more than enough of him playing for us, normally not quite well enough.

Careful what you wish for I guess, but I’d be happy to see him move on.

Agreed. Good at championship level; nowhere near good enough for prem unfortunately.

 

Always gives his all so I wish him well wherever he goes. 

[bugenhagen]

1 hour ago, goodymatt said:

 

Love it!

[sockeye]

1 hour ago, goodymatt said:

 

Good. Let's hope someone takes him off our hands. 

[HarvSFC]

Timing's key with this one. Romano gets his information from agents and Bednarek's agent will have asked Romano to make the release clause public knowledge as well as the throwaway line of "several clubs attentive to this opportunity" which doesn't actually mean anything but may push a club into making a move. He must have his eye on a move this summer. We can thank Bednarek for his service. He has kind of redeemed himself after refusing to play in the Cup because of the upcoming international break and his comments after joining Villa. However, we've never had a good defence with Bednarek in it. Not even last season in the Championship. We need someone more dominant and physical in the position. Villa quickly found out he wasn't good enough and that was when they were below us and we tried to replace him and Stephens two years ago, yet here they are starting every week.

So, yeah, not going to lose too much sleep over this one. Bednarek leaving is one of the keys to getting a squad refresh.

[Miltonaggro]

43 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

He might find out in the Summer that he’s not as good as he thinks he is.  Can’t see much interest from the Premier League  in him.

Not at the price we'd sell him for, given the £20M will apparently paid for him.  The neo-Maldini barnet might add another £35.

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

Villa quickly found out Bednarek wasn't good enough and that was when they were below us and we tried to replace him and Stephens two years ago, yet here they are starting every week.

If you ever have to illustrate to someone why we've gone from being better than a club like Aston Villa to exponentially worse than them in the space of a few years, just get them to read that sentence right there... 👆

#nutshell. 

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, skintsaint said:

Believe he stated he is off at the end of the season.

Arib-go https://saintsmarching.com/southampton-midfielder-wants-leave-amid-recent-transfer-interest

One of the bigger earners, done OK but not fussed if he moves on, need far more of an engine in that area.

Smallbone also needs to move on for the same reason, also only a year left.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Believe he stated he is off at the end of the season.

Fucking hope so

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Osvaldorama said:

Agreed. Good at championship level; nowhere near good enough for prem unfortunately.

 

Always gives his all so I wish him well wherever he goes. 

I actually like Bednarek, not the greatest but as you say gives his all. Can't help wondering if he would be better playing alongside a more dominant centre back partner.

[BarberSaint]

22 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

I actually like Bednarek, not the greatest but as you say gives his all. Can't help wondering if he would be better leaving.

Yes please. Waste of £5m.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

17 minutes ago, BarberSaint said:

Yes please. Waste of £5m.

Waste of 5m? Really?

[Gloucester Saint]

13 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Waste of 5m? Really?

£5m was a mid-level Champ fee at the time, now its top 10 League 1. 200 odd appearance, bulk of them in the top flight, can’t really moan.

Not Jannik’s fault that Reed and Wilson couldn’t stay off the sauce long enough to think that Hoedt and Vestergaard were worth £17m each (£30m today). 

[madge]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

I actually like Bednarek, not the greatest but as you say gives his all. Can't help wondering if he would be better playing alongside a more dominant centre back partner.

Yeah I do actually think he has done well since returning from villa. He’s been steady and you know what you get from him. He deserves his move and would wish him all the best. Been a good servant.