Southampton will face a tough battle to avoid Premier League relegation in 2024/25.
After just one season in the Championship, the Saints are set to ply their trade in the Premier League once more in 2024/25.
Southampton were among the favourites to secure promotion from England’s second tier in 2023/24.
Their form toward the back end of the campaign dropped off somewhat, losing three of their last five.
But it was still enough for Russell Martin and co. to finish fourth and reach the play-off final.
The South Coast outfit would beat Leeds United in something of an upset to earn a place in the Premier League for 2024/25.
Southampton are now deep into their preparation for the upcoming season, which kicks off in just over two weeks.
The Saints have four more pre-season games before their Premier League opener versus Newcastle United on August 17th.
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Gabriel Agbonlahor makes Southampton relegation prediction
As a newly-promoted side, Southampton are expected to be in the relegation battle come May 2025.
Teams promoted from the Championship often struggle to make the step up, with the 2023/24 a clear example of this.
Burnley dominated in 2022/23 but ended the previous season 19th in the Premier League on 24 points.
The Clarets were relegated alongside the other two recently promoted teams – Sheffield United and Luton Town.
Now, ahead of 2024/25, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonahor has backed Southampton to be relegated next term.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the Englishman also questioned if Adam Armstrong was good enough.
He said: “I think they will come back down. I feel like that they are not really buying any players.
“The squad that got promoted decent. Look at Armstrong upfront. Is he good enough? I am not sure.”
Have Southampton done enough to avoid Premier League relegation
In a bid to avoid the drop, Southampton have been very active on the transfer front this summer.
Southampton confirmed the permanent signing of Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City shortly after their promotion to the top flight.
Ben Brereton Diaz is the Saints’ latest signing and big things are expected of the forward at St Mary’s.
A number of other stars could still join the club in the final month of the 2024 summer transfer window.
Southampton saw a £14m bid for Matt O’Riley rejected by Celtic last week but that deal could still be completed.
The Saints have also recently been linked with Fenerbache right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel, with a fee of £17m expected to be enough to secure his services.
Said players would prove smart signings for the club but with 11 transfers already confirmed, Martin may struggle to embed so many new players at the same time.
This is an issue many clubs have faced in the past and could hinder Southampton in their fight for survival.