With Southampton missing out on a chance to play in a game worth £220m due to reasons we all know, it is imperative that SportRepublic gets this summer transfer window right. In previous seasons, fans have been disappointed with the ownership, however a lot of signings have worked out – rising to the occasion of playing at Southampton. With the club’s reputation at an all-time low, and uncertainty never being more apparent, it will be harder than ever to attract promising talent to the south coast. Furthermore, Head of UK scouting, Ben Chorley, has left his role – making it even more important that we get this right. Not only for Southampton’s future, but for SportRepublic’s ever-controversial reign over the club. Despite this, though, with the club’s history of development of signings – especially younger players – I back the club to reverse the seemingly never-ending damage done to this wonderful football club in the last few weeks.
The recent radio silence from the football club has been far from ideal, and is only creating more uncertainty. Who will be the manager next season? Will Tonda receive a ban? And which players want out? Are just a few of the questions that we, as fans, are wondering. It’s because of this, that I believe the board needs to act quickly – perhaps even before the World Cup. Mitigating fears of a mass exodus is so important, not only for the fans but for potential signings. A club with such uncertainty is not an attractive move.
A potential solution to this worry would be to move early for a central midfielder. It is no secret that Shea Charles has been immense this season. The Northern Irishman ranks in the 10th percentile for possession won in the final third as well as fouls won – a testament to his ball-carrying ability and work rate off the ball. Last-gasp winners against Arsenal, Leicester and Middlesbrough were also crucial to our success last season and were a great addition to his game. So I’m sure it’s no real surprise to any scummers that multiple clubs are interested in him. Most notably, Manchester United. With an approach value of around £25m, it would be an offer that Shea couldn’t refuse, and I expect we would take the money. A relatively unknown possible replacement could be 23-year-old Alvyn Sanches. The Swiss midfielder has been immense for Young Boys this season – netting 10 goals and 6 assists in just 28 appearances. His exclusion from the Switzerland World Cup squad is a huge shock for many Swiss fans, however, almost more shockingly, no clubs have expressed interest in him yet. Despite his age, three impressive, full seasons in the Swiss Super League make the move relatively risk-free in my opinion, so going for him as a replacement for Shea Charles would make a lot of sense. His transfer value sits at around £9.5m, but with 3 years left on his contract, I expect Young Boys will want around the £15m mark for his services. Dependent on what happens with Charles, we could net a profit and replace him effortlessly. The promising young talent is certainly one to keep an eye on.
Staying on topic positionally, Casper Jander’s excellent end to the season has resulted in a myriad of German Clubs showing interest. Top sides such as Stuttgart, Leipzig and Hoffenheim. Additionally, he has expressed his desire to leave the club, according to inside sources. His defensive contributions are crucial to this Southampton side, and there are countless times where he relieves the pressure by making a tackle or recovery – subsequently launching a counterattack. As for a replacement, the quality of the replacement is vital; they need to have a similar work rate and have positional intelligence. Mistakes cannot be afforded. A possibility I would consider would be affiliate-club Goztepe’s midfielder, Anthony Dennis. The 21-year-old has impressed in Turkey and ranks extremely highly in stats such as Successful dribbles and duels won, but also excels in defensive situations – ranking in the 1st percentile for recoveries, and 5th percentile for possession won, tackles, interceptions, and blocked shots. With Flynn Downes likely staying, and Cameron Bragg set to build on his breakthrough last season, pairing these with some defensive brilliance is, in my opinion, a perfect match. As for the transition to English football, we have seen many Super Lig players make the leap seamlessly; think Matsuki, or Kadioglu at Brighton (who just won player of the year). Furthermore, the finances would stay within SportRepublic, an incredibly important aspect after the dreadful few weeks we have just experienced.
Another expected departure is Leo Scienza. The Brazilian winger has looked sharp this season, with his leadership on the pitch contributing hugely to the turnaround from January onwards. His outstanding performances and goal tally have earned him the players and fans Player Of The Season; yet, concrete links between top Premier League clubs Tottenham and Fulham mean it will be a difficult task to keep him. I think with his commitment to the club this season, coupled with the mutual love between fans and player, there is a chance he stays, but this scenario still seems the least likely. Replacing the leadership of the 27-year-old will be almost impossible, and finding an affordable winger that offers as much is even harder. Nevertheless, if the price tag reaches upwards of £25m, I believe signing Ichem Ferrah at £5m would be a great bit of business. The Frenchman’s loan at Dutch second division side Cambuur has been a major success, and he has been a player that I’ve watched closely. Parent club Lille may be looking to sell him on after an impressive season. Whilst signing an inexperienced 20-year-old is risky, his unique player profile cannot be ignored. In my opinion, he has such raw talent – a trait that we so often see utilised effectively at The Saints. His passing range is outrageous, his highlight reel is out of this world, but his ambition allows him to create 59 chances this season, often out of nowhere. In my mind, he is far too good for this level, and the Championship should be a nice step up for him – whether that be another loan or a permanent signing.
All in all, whatever business we do this summer is imperative to our future as a club. We could see major changes in the squad come next season, and the players I have highlighted should allow us to kick on next year, as opposed to regressing after a tough period. This amateur, yet well-thought-out business allows us to recoup a lot of money lost whilst also improving our squad. The benefit of signing youth like this is that it mitigates risk. If it doesn’t work out, they have a high resale value. If it does work out, we can sell them on for a profit or keep them – constantly improving the squad.
