Southampton supporters in the Transfer Tavern are very much looking forward to the start of the new Premier League season, with the Saints beginning their campaign at St Mary’s on Sunday.
Mark Hughes’ men narrowly avoided relegation from the top-flight last time round in finishing 17th and just three points clear of the bottom three, thus giving the South Coast outfit something to think about after four successive top ten finishes in the top tier. And it will be up to former Stoke City chief Hughes, who took over from the sacked Mauricio Pellegrino back in March, to try and lead the club back towards the top half, and thus become an established Premier League side once again.
And the Saints will begin their quest to do just that against Sean Dyche’s Burnley on Sunday, although before then Hughes and the club’s hierarchy have the small matter of the summer transfer deadline to contend with.
Southampton have already been pretty busy this summer in bringing four new signings to St Mary’s, most notably Angus Gunn and Mohamed Elyounoussi, while several players have left the club either on loan or on permanent deals, with Dusan Tadic perhaps the most high-profile of those falling in the latter category.
But with a few days to go, there could still be more business to conduct at St Mary’s, and as such here are the TWO most important things Hughes must do before the 5pm deadline on August 9…
While Southampton deserve great credit for improving areas of their squad in need of strengthening over the summer, the striking ranks remain hugely depleted at St Mary’s.
Record signing Guido Carrillo endured a miserable first six months at the club, to the point that he was shipped out on loan to Leganes earlier this summer, while the likes of Shane Long and Manolo Gabbiadini simply didn’t prove prolific enough to fill the void left by fellow striker Charlie Austin, who only managed 24 league appearances due to injury.
And that is why they simply have to bring a striker in before Thursday’s deadline, and they could do a lot worse than lure Danny Ings away from Liverpool, what with the 26-year-old likely to struggle commanding regular football under Jurgen Klopp this season.
And having proven his worth at Premier League level before during a stint at Burnley, he could well be the answer to the Saints’ problems in the final third of the pitch.
There aren’t too many players that can hold their head high after last season, but summer signing Mario Lemina is certainly one that can.
The midfielder moved from Juventus 12 months ago and proved to be hugely influential in the heart of the Saints midfield, thus prompting reported interest in his services from Manchester City this summer.
But with just a few days to go, Lemina remains a Southampton player, which is something that Hughes and the club must uphold beyond the 5pm deadline on Thursday.
