There have been many amazing stories around this Premier League season just gone. Leicester’s title win, Tottenham’s surge up the table and Chelsea’s capitulation have all grabbed the headlines and rightly so. But what we are forgetting is how well Southampton have done.
The Saints have finished a hugely impressive sixth.
Above Liverpool, above West Ham who again were another side being praised, and just three points off of a Champions League spot, yet the South coast side’s season has gone largely under the radar.
In fact, it was only when the club were in a dismal run of form this year they seemed to get any attention and so the turnaround Ronald Koeman has performed with his side, not for the first time, has been brilliant.
Saints fans can look forward to Europa League football next season, with an ever improving squad and a manager who is increasingly becoming one of the brightest in the game.
2016/17 could be the St. Mary’s outfit’s best for some time, and with the new money coming in from the new TV deal an abundance of new players to enhance the club’s progression should be expected.
Southampton’s record transfer fee is £12 million which was for player of their season Virgil van Dijk. Money certainly well spent then and our landlord thinks at the Transfer Tavern that Southampton could break that record again with these FIVE players……
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE PLAYERS!
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Dennis Praet
The young midfielder from Anderlecht will move to one of Europe’s top league at some point in the near future, it all depends on who makes the best offer.
At 22, the Belgian will be thinking of where to progress his career and a club like Southampton would be ideal for him under Ronald Koeman.
Competition for Praet’s signature will be hard fought though, and a big bid may be required.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
‘The Ox’ was a good player for Southampton and that is what earned him a move to Arsenal in the first place.
However the young Englishman has been blighted by injury and has fallen down the pecking order at the club behind the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez – seeing his career begin to falter.
Oxlade-Chamberlain would no doubt start at Southampton and with regular game time would show the kind of player he can be in familiar surroundings.
Filip Djordjevic
Djordjevic is a powerful striker for Lazio and Serbia.
He has Europa League pedigree with three goals in three games and that would prove vital in the Saints’ 2016/17 campaign.
The forward has made 26 appearances for Lazio this season forming a decent partnership with the evergreen Miroslav Klose, and the experience he has from playing with the German veteran would be beneficial for the likes of Graziano Pelle.
Laurent Depoitre
The Gent forward has goalscoring experience in the Champions League, and would provide good experience to help the likes of Shane Long to compete regularly in European club football.
He has twelve goals in twenty seven appearances in the league this year and could be a great signing if Southampton go for him.
There are, however, a number of other clubs reportedly looking into Depoitre and so bidding could be fierce.
Geoffrey Kondogbia
The Frenchman would be the perfect replacement for Victor Wanyama if he moves on from the club.
Kondogbia can play as a holding midfielder or a central midfielder and breaks up the play superbly for Inter Milan.
He has 26 appearances in Serie A this year and is the kind of player Saints should be looking at to move on to the next level and regularly compete in Europe.
