Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[Miltonaggro]

2 hours ago, CSA96 said:

 

Looks about as delighted as Prowse did. 

[Smirking_Saint]

On 17/07/2025 at 18:24, skintsaint said:

Our club have a knack of over-extending contracts of players who should be out the door.

In fairness, Bednarek has been our best defender for the past two years (shows how bad our progression in recruitment has got), so I didn’t mind the extension at the time

Do agree with you around rewarding mediocrity though… giving JS a 3 year deal is criminal 

[AlexLaw76]

I cannot imagine Ramsdale is stying, just hope a good immediate starter of a keeper is brought in

We also clearly need someone with quality out wide

[skintsaint]

15 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I cannot imagine Ramsdale is stying,

Waiting for a big money move so more money for his piggy bank.

[Toussaint]

32 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I cannot imagine Ramsdale is stying, just hope a good immediate starter of a keeper is brought in

We also clearly need someone with quality out wide

That’s one in the eye for him!

[Matthew Le God]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We also clearly need someone with quality out wide

Although out of depth in the Premier League, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Edozie, Fraser, Robinson & Dibling is an extremely strong line-up of wide players for the Championship.

[Wade Garrett]

13 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Although out of depth in the Premier League, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Edozie, Fraser, Robinson & Dibling is an extremely strong line-up of wide players for the Championship.

Not the way Still wants his wingers to play.  How many of them can beat a man and whip a cross in?

[ally_uk]

I reckon Ramsdale and Dibling and Fernandes are off, no chance we are keeping any of them. 

[MarkSFC]

2 minutes ago, ally_uk said:

I reckon Ramsdale and Dibling and Fernandes are off, no chance we are keeping any of them. 

As long as we get 100m+ for them all I wont care.

[AlexLaw76]

25 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Although out of depth in the Premier League, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Edozie, Fraser, Robinson & Dibling is an extremely strong line-up of wide players for the Championship.

You did read what I posted… Right?

[Matthew Le God]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

You did read what I posted… Right?

 

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

You did read what I posted… Right?

Yes, you said, "We also clearly need someone with quality out wide". I then listed multiple players we currently have who are quality at Championship level out wide.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Ramsdale will go, Fernandes and Dibling I’m 50/50 about. Fernandes lit up the league more than Dibling did, take out the fact that TD is English and he had a couple of flashes of brilliance but not much more.

[Smirking_Saint]

17 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

Yes, you said, "We also clearly need someone with quality out wide". I then listed multiple players we currently have who are quality at Championship level out wide.

Ben Brereton Diaz is…. Quality out wide now is he ?

[Challenger]

22 minutes ago, MarkSFC said:

As long as we get 100m+ for them all I wont care.

Problem is SR will probably spunk it on 10 overpriced squad fillers.

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Ben Brereton Diaz is…. Quality out wide now is he ?

In the Championship, he is. Not in the Premier League.

[Smirking_Saint]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

In the Championship, he is. Not in the Premier League.

Is he though ? Really didn’t show it last season, or so far in pre season

Besides Still plays very much with classic type wingers, and not really any of the players listed are of that skillset, do he either adapts his tactics, or, we need quality out wide

Fraser and BBD I doubt are reliable this season anyway

[BERMUDASAINT]

On 18/07/2025 at 14:28, Baird of the land said:

Aribo was quite well suited to Martin's slowball(but don't really see him being a tremendous asset in a more mobile system)On the other hand Charles(was horribly suited to Martin's style) and i'm really hoping we'll finally get to see the version sheff wed/N.Ireland have seen.

One of the players to have emerged favourably out of Still's attention to fitness is Shea Charles. Charles has been given licence to get forward and support attacks in his new role for the team. Instead of just being in the team to break up the opposition's play as a holding midfielder, the Northern Irish international is being transformed into a box-to-box midfielder under Still.

Still has clearly worked on adding numbers to the 'chances created' cloumn next to Charles' name on Transfermarkt.com or whatever stats app you choose to refer to. Already, we have seen an impact.

At Eastleigh, after receiving clear instruction from the manager, started to get forward more. His tumble in the box led to a converted penalty. On Friday, against Valenciennes, a supposedly fatigued Charles made a gut-busting burst forward to assist a goal for Archer. Soon after, he was leaping highest to clear a dangerous near-post corner.

This new and improved Shea Charles is a beast of a player. Alongside Flynn Downes and one hopes, Mateus Fernandes, Southampton will be unplayable. There is not a better midfield in the Championship than that one.

Cameron Archer and Joshua Quarshie are two others who are having an encouraging pre-season. Archer has netted in each of the pre-season friendlies and is staking his claim for a place in Still's first eleven.

[Badger]

18 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

If press reports that Eduard Spertsyan and Mamadou Coulibaly have both rejected a Saints’ offer are right, that would explain our failure so far to buy a midfielder but MC is a more defensive type of player than I, at least, was expecting - he’s a definite DM.  Let’s hope we have plenty of other irons in the fire.  Our present lack of concrete progress is beginning to worry me, even more so because it gives those posters who just have to post several times a day nothing interesting to talk about and we have to wade through page after page of mostly drivel.

https://saintsmarching.com/another-midfielder-quietly-turns-down-saints-within-a-week

https://www.transfermarkt.us/mamadou-coulibaly/profil/spieler/967976

Saints Marching seems to contain a lot of bullshit, and it’s dreadfully written bullshit at that.

IF true though, it’d be a bit concerning that we go from having a definite target in mind (attacking MF) to then sign a DM ( if that’s instead of rather than as well as).

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve sign a drop off in quality having lost our first target and ending up with a different kind of player ( ie Maddison to Elyonoussi, and Sangarre to Diallo). Hoped we’d learnt a lesson. 

Edited yesterday at 15:23 by Badger

[Fabrice29]

33 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Is he though ? Really didn’t show it last season, or so far in pre season

Besides Still plays very much with classic type wingers, and not really any of the players listed are of that skillset, do he either adapts his tactics, or, we need quality out wide

Fraser and BBD I doubt are reliable this season anyway

Is that true?

 

[Badger]

24 minutes ago, BERMUDASAINT said:

This new and improved Shea Charles is a beast of a player. Alongside Flynn Downes and one hopes, Mateus Fernandes, Southampton will be unplayable. There is not a better midfield in the Championship than that one.

Agree. I’d be pleased to see Charles reach his potential with us.

Keep Fernandes and he alone would probably see us have the outstanding MF in the Championship.

And then there’s Smallbone of course … 

[Yorkshire Saint]

3 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

Looks about as delighted as Prowse did. 

That's a hell of a Boyle on his chest....

[Smirking_Saint]

50 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Is that true?

 

It was at Lens

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

In the Championship, he is. Not in the Premier League.

Yes, he ripped the league up last season with Sheffield Utd, just like Armstrong did with WBA.

I would sell the pair of them.

[Fabrice29]

48 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

It was at Lens

Seemed to play quite a bit without wingers and when he did they would play close to the striker from the minimal information I can find. Anyway, given adaptability is the big buzz word around Still right now, I would be slightly surprised if he didn't highlight our best crossers of the ball are our full backs/wing backs and set up accordingly. Dibling/Robinson or whoever should be playing inside and close to the striker/s and full backs pushed on. Midfield should be anchored by Downes and Charles and Fernandes should be the all action heart beat. Don't think we'll be playing with "classic wingers" given we barely have any.

[Harry_SFC]

24 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Seemed to play quite a bit without wingers and when he did they would play close to the striker from the minimal information I can find. Anyway, given adaptability is the big buzz word around Still right now, I would be slightly surprised if he didn't highlight our best crossers of the ball are our full backs/wing backs and set up accordingly. Dibling/Robinson or whoever should be playing inside and close to the striker/s and full backs pushed on. Midfield should be anchored by Downes and Charles and Fernandes should be the all action heart beat. Don't think we'll be playing with "classic wingers" given we barely have any.

Obviously they won't all stay as we'll have to raise some funds but we really could have one hell of a team for this division with this set up. As you say, full backs providing the width and two decent holding players to cover.

Example (4-3-1-2)

Ramsdale; Sugawara, THB, Edwards, Welington; Downes, Charles, Fernandes; Dibling; Archer, Downs/Stewart. 

Edited 23 hours ago by Harry_SFC

[Saint_clark]

19 hours ago, skintsaint said:

You would have thought Bayern would have already made a move if he were decent enough after his last stint in Germany.

Think it's possible he might have improved since he left Werder Bremen at 21? 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Obviously they won't all stay as we'll have to raise some funds but we really could have one hell of a team for this division with this set up. As you say, full backs providing the width and two decent holding players to cover.

Example (4-3-1-2)

Ramsdale, Sugawara, THB, Edwards, Welington, Downes, Charles, Fernandes, Dibling, Archer, Downs/Stewart. 

Yup. A team like that. In a lower division. I don't want to get carried away. But they might get more than the 12 points most of them amassed last season. 🙂

[skintsaint]

29 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Think it's possible he might have improved since he left Werder Bremen at 21? 

Possibly... but left Werder to play in England and ended up in the Championship for 3 out of 4 seasons, then rejoining the Bundesliga at a smaller club in Wolfsburg. 

Next stop Bayern!

[SaintBobby]

4 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

Although out of depth in the Premier League, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Edozie, Fraser, Robinson & Dibling is an extremely strong line-up of wide players for the Championship.

Don't agree with this at all. They are all reasonable to very good players at EFL level but v few - if any - are the type of wingers our system needs. Possibly Robinson - but obviously very little to go on. Maybe Edozie - but final product is weak. Armstrong and Diaz are more like forwards who can play on the wing and cut in. Dibling hasn't quite found his position yet - but is obviously (a) an exciting prospect and (b) could leave.

I think Still is looking for wingers who can beat a man wide down the flank and then cut the ball into the box. For all their strengths, that's not the go-to skill of any of this lot.

[hypochondriac]

53 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Obviously they won't all stay as we'll have to raise some funds but we really could have one hell of a team for this division with this set up. As you say, full backs providing the width and two decent holding players to cover.

Example (4-3-1-2)

Ramsdale; Sugawara, THB, Edwards, Welington; Downes, Charles, Fernandes; Dibling; Archer, Downs/Stewart. 

I know it's not going to happen but that's objectively a better team than last season. 

[saintant]

4 hours ago, BERMUDASAINT said:

One of the players to have emerged favourably out of Still's attention to fitness is Shea Charles. Charles has been given licence to get forward and support attacks in his new role for the team. Instead of just being in the team to break up the opposition's play as a holding midfielder, the Northern Irish international is being transformed into a box-to-box midfielder under Still.

Still has clearly worked on adding numbers to the 'chances created' cloumn next to Charles' name on Transfermarkt.com or whatever stats app you choose to refer to. Already, we have seen an impact.

At Eastleigh, after receiving clear instruction from the manager, started to get forward more. His tumble in the box led to a converted penalty. On Friday, against Valenciennes, a supposedly fatigued Charles made a gut-busting burst forward to assist a goal for Archer. Soon after, he was leaping highest to clear a dangerous near-post corner.

This new and improved Shea Charles is a beast of a player. Alongside Flynn Downes and one hopes, Mateus Fernandes, Southampton will be unplayable. There is not a better midfield in the Championship than that one.

Cameron Archer and Joshua Quarshie are two others who are having an encouraging pre-season. Archer has netted in each of the pre-season friendlies and is staking his claim for a place in Still's first eleven.

A wee bit over the top 🙂

[beatlesaint]

5 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

In the Championship, he is. Not in the Premier League.

You’re letting the word quality do a lot of heavy lifting. He didn’t set Sheffield Utd alight last season during his loan spell

[Chez]

29 minutes ago, saintant said:

A wee bit over the top 🙂

Not the only thing.

 "...being transformed into a box-to-box midfielder under Still."

It's almost like his season at Sheffield Wednesday never happened.

[suewhistle]

.. yes, "continuing his transformation" might have been a better way to put it.

[Willo of Whiteley]

BBD was a way better player when he was younger, as soon as he became a Chilean international and added “Diaz” to his name he became poor.

You simply cannot call him prolific in the Championship because quite simply he hasn’t done it for years.

Adam Armstrong is a much better player than BBD.

BBD has done nothing to even warrant that he is a footballer let alone a Championship level player.

The risk you run is selling him to another Championship rival, because he certainly isn’t good enough for the Premier League, and he seemingly won’t be moving abroad any time soon. (Recently became a father and only lasted six months in Spain with Villarreal).

[Turkish]

6 hours ago, ally_uk said:

I reckon Ramsdale and Dibling and Fernandes are off, no chance we are keeping any of them. 

Fuck me I didn’t realise mystic Meg posted on here

[Turkish]

6 hours ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Is he though ? Really didn’t show it last season, or so far in pre season

Besides Still plays very much with classic type wingers, and not really any of the players listed are of that skillset, do he either adapts his tactics, or, we need quality out wide

Fraser and BBD I doubt are reliable this season anyway

Computer say yes pal

 

[Appy]

7 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

Although out of depth in the Premier League, Brereton Diaz, Armstrong, Edozie, Fraser, Robinson & Dibling is an extremely strong line-up of wide players for the Championship.

Agree to an extent. But how many of those are actually out and out wingers that will get crosses in the box? Which is what Still supposedly wants. 

[Smirking_Saint]

19 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Computer say yes pal

 

FM26 is gonna be a breeze

[Fabrice29]

43 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

BBD was a way better player when he was younger, as soon as he became a Chilean international and added “Diaz” to his name he became poor.

You simply cannot call him prolific in the Championship because quite simply he hasn’t done it for years.

Adam Armstrong is a much better player than BBD.

BBD has done nothing to even warrant that he is a footballer let alone a Championship level player.

The risk you run is selling him to another Championship rival, because he certainly isn’t good enough for the Premier League, and he seemingly won’t be moving abroad any time soon. (Recently became a father and only lasted six months in Spain with Villarreal).

Became a Chilean international in May 2021, then went onto have his two most prolific seasons scoring 22 and 14 goals at the Championship level he's done nothing at supposedly. But apart from that, top posting. 

[Matthew Le God]

31 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

FM26 is gonna be a breeze

The 1st season might be, the 2nd season could be very difficult!

[Saint_clark]

4 hours ago, SaintBobby said:

Don't agree with this at all. They are all reasonable to very good players at EFL level but v few - if any - are the type of wingers our system needs. Possibly Robinson - but obviously very little to go on. Maybe Edozie - but final product is weak. Armstrong and Diaz are more like forwards who can play on the wing and cut in. Dibling hasn't quite found his position yet - but is obviously (a) an exciting prospect and (b) could leave.

I think Still is looking for wingers who can beat a man wide down the flank and then cut the ball into the box. For all their strengths, that's not the go-to skill of any of this lot.

Didn't Edozie have 6 goals for us in the Championship last time, before bizarrely being frozen out? I think he will be a goal threat for us this year. 

[Saint_clark]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

The 1st season might be, the 2nd season could be very difficult!

It's alright, you always overrate the young players making it easier anyway  

Larios became a beast for me. 

[Osvaldorama]

2 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

BBD was a way better player when he was younger, as soon as he became a Chilean international and added “Diaz” to his name he became poor.

You simply cannot call him prolific in the Championship because quite simply he hasn’t done it for years.

Adam Armstrong is a much better player than BBD.

BBD has done nothing to even warrant that he is a footballer let alone a Championship level player.

The risk you run is selling him to another Championship rival, because he certainly isn’t good enough for the Premier League, and he seemingly won’t be moving abroad any time soon. (Recently became a father and only lasted six months in Spain with Villarreal).

Agree, I’d get rid. 
 

Even if he ends up going to a rival, that’s actually a positive as he’d weaken whoever he ends up with. Shambles of a “footballer”

[Danbert]

According to the Echo...

"Saints could decide to sign someone better than Bazunu and McCarthy, but have more pressing areas for high-value recruitment."

🤬 

[Challenger]

24 minutes ago, Danbert said:

According to the Echo...

"Saints could decide to sign someone better than Bazunu and McCarthy, but have more pressing areas for high-value recruitment."

🤬 

I am sure the club could still afford a traffic cone to stick on the goal line if that's the case.

[Pierre2]

Admittedly I haven't seen much of Charles at Wednesday but of what I saw of him at Saints he's way too slow on the turn over to be a 'box to box' player. I think Downes will prove to be more valuable this season.

[Rebel]

Edozie will be one of the better wingers in the Championship - he can beat his man, he tracks back and he has the physicality.  The one thing he lacked was the final ball - but with 6 goals and a couple of assists in what was effectively half a season  that's not that bad either.

But he is a right footer and has generally played on the left cutting in with the ball which seemed to affect his final ball at times.  But it seems Still wants to play him on the right which should improve his final ball and significantly increase the number of crosses he puts in.

[Oldandtired]

1 hour ago, Pierre2 said:

he's way too slow on the turn over 

Wasn't that a product of Russball?

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Danbert said:

According to the Echo...

"Saints could decide to sign someone better than Bazunu and McCarthy, but have more pressing areas for high-value recruitment."

🤬 

If Will Still has studied past performances of Bazunu there is surely no way he thinks he is good enough as a number one or two (assuming Ramsdale leaves). I will seriously reconsider my views on his credentials if he accepts a situation where McCarthy and Bazunu are our two choices for the first team.