Southampton had a busy end to the summer transfer window with three players singed on Deadline Day.
Southampton spent their biggest transfer fee of the summer to secure the signing of Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal in a deal that could rise to as much as £25 million.
That transfer kicked off a chaotic Deadline Day, with Ryan Fraser announced as a permanent arrival just over an hour before the 11pm deadline as Newcastle United finally agreed to terminate his contract a year early.
Fraser was then joined by another winger as a transfer deal sheet was submitted in order to allow a loan deal for West Ham United’s Maxwel Cornet to be registered after the deadline.
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Those three players take the number of signings Southampton have made this summer to 14, but not all those that have come in can make Russell Martin‘s starting XI.
Aaron Ramsdale and Maxwel Cornet go straight into best Southampton XI
Should Southampton avoid Premier League relegation this season, we could well find ourselves looking back at the signing of Ramsdale as one of the key reasons for that.
An England international, Ramsdale is a huge coup for Martin’s side and represents a massive upgrade on the other goalkeepers at Southampton.
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His confidence and ability should have a huge impact at St Mary’s and he will go straight into the side as the undisputed number one.
Fraser played a big part in helping Southampton to promotion last season but was by no means a guaranteed starter across the course of the campaign and will be a useful player to have coming off the bench once more.
However, Cornet should join Ramsdale in Martin’s starting line-up as the versatile forward adds real quality as well as having shown in his time at Burnley that he can be the difference-maker in a struggling side.
What is Russell Martin’s best Southampton XI after summer signings?
As mentioned, Ramsdale goes straight into Martin’s best XI as goalkeeper.
If the Saints are to revert to the 4-3-3 that they played in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Cardiff City, then the back four should include just one new signing in the shape of Japanese right-back Yukinari Sugawara.
This would see star man Kyle Walker-Peters play left-back after Southampton somehow survived another transfer window with the two-cap England international at the club.
Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood have both signed to bolster Martin’s options at centre-back but neither are yet ready to get into the best XI, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek arguably the strongest pairing despite Jack Stephens being club captain.
Flynn Downes made last season’s loan move permanent and could provide the anchor to a new look midfield alongside Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu and Mateus Fernandes once the pair have got up to speed.
That feels harsh on Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo but it just shows that Martin now hows a wealth of options in midfield.
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This leaves just the front three and perhaps controversially last season’s top goalscorer Adam Armstrong misses out.
Instead, Cornet should line-up on the right flank where he can cut in on his stronger left foot, Ben Brereton Diaz will play from the left and Cameron Archer can play as the centre-forward after a brace against Cardiff City.
With that in mind, nine of the 14 first-team signings this summer have a place in Martin’s best XI.
Southampton best XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Downes, Ugochukwu, Fernandes; Cornet, Archer, Brereton Diaz.