Southampton cannot afford to repeat previous transfer mistakes if they are to stay in the Premier League next season.
Manager Russell Martin has done a remarkable job in achieving Championship promotion via the play-offs whilst completely overhauling the playing style at the club and seeing 19 players leave last summer.
With relegation, owners Sport Republic had to make sales, shift deadwood and try and rebuild ahead of Southampton‘s first season outside the top flight in over a decade.
There were a number of factors in finishing bottom of the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, not least the fact the club got through three managers during the campaign.
However, the club now have the opportunity to show they’ve learned their lessons by not repeating one major transfer error from summer 2022.
- READ MORE: The nine signings Russell Martin must make at Southampton to ensure Premier League survival
Southampton must sign proven goalscorer this summer
Southampton made ten signings in the pre-season prior to being relegated, with the likes of Romeo Lavia, Joe Aribo, Gavin Bazunu and Armel Bella-Kotchap all arriving at the St Mary’s.
Crucially, though, they signed just one striker, and that was an unproven 19-year-old Sekou Mara who had just suffered relegation from the French top flight.
The £11 million capture of Mara was very much a signing for the future, with the club capitalising on Bordeaux’s financial woes, but ended the window as the only addition up front.
Play-off hero Adam Armstrong had arrived the summer prior, alongside Armando Broja on loan. Both were intended to be the Danny Ings replacement but, with Armstrong struggling at the top level and Broja returning to Chelsea after his loan, the Saints were left short on strikers.
With Mara’s signing, this meant Southampton went into the season with Che Adams, Armstrong and Mara as the only strikers at the club and goals proved hard to come by.
Sport Republic desperately tried to rectify their error by signing Paul Onuachu for £18.6 million on January transfer deadline day but the Nigerian never fit at the club and did not score a single goal before being shifted to Trabzonspor on loan last summer.
With Adams looking likely to depart the club when his contract expires this summer, this leaves the club with Armstrong, Mara and Ross Stewart as the attacking options; with just five Premier League goals between them.
Mara could move on this summer, having failed to live up to his early promise, so Southampton simply have to sign a proven goalscorer or face the same fate as they did in the 2022/23 season.
Which strikers have Southampton been linked with?
The good news for Southampton fans is that it looks as though the club are targeting a striker.
The transfer window is not yet officially open but the south coast side have already been linked with a number of potential targets.
Ben Brereton Diaz, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield United, is the player who looks to be attracting the most attention after an impressive six goals in 14 league games despite playing for a very poor Blades side.
The Saints have also been credited with interest in Jeronimo Domina, a young prospect from Union De Santa Fe in Argentina but this would likely be one for the future.
A return for Danny Ings has also been mentioned, but this seems unlikely given the nature of his previous exit and Southampton’s tendency to look for younger players.
If Adams is to be depart this could see Southampton spring into action to bring in a forward, but there is no question they should be doing all they can to attract a proven goalscorer ahead of what will be a tough first season back in the big time.