Southampton ended their pre-season preparations with a 0-0 draw against La Liga opponents Getafe at St Mary’s.
That goalless draw meant that Russell Martin has seen his Southampton side lose just once this summer, a 2-0 defeat to Championship side Oxford United.
Eastleigh, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Millwall were all put to the sword by the Saints, with back-to-back draws against Lazio and Getafe ending the preparations.
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Now, with less than a week until Southampton face Newcastle United in the Premier League’s opening weekend, here are ten things we can conclude from the Saints’ pre-season.
Southampton need a new goalkeeper this summer
Having deputised for Gavin Bazunu expertly at the end of last season, Alex McCarthy was handed a new contract.
With Bazunu set to be out well into the new season with the Achilles injury he sustained in April, Southampton are currently going into the new season with McCarthy as first choice.
This summer has highlighted McCarthy’s deficiencies with the ball at his feet and Martin must therefore insist that the Saints hierarchy sign him a new stopper this season who can carry out his possession-based approach.
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Yukinari Sugawara is going to excite Southampton fans this season
Southampton paid £5.88 million to sign Japanese right-back Yukinari Sugawara from AZ Alkmaar this summer and he already looks as though he could quickly become a fan favourite.
Having netted on his debut in the 7-1 win over Eastleigh, Sugawara’s seemingly boundless energy combined with his desire to get forward are sure to make him a really exciting prospect this season.
At 24, he is only going to get better too, so Southampton fans will hope to see Sugawara at St Mary’s for years to come.
Tyler Dibling shows future is bright at Southampton
One of the highlights of pre-season has been the performances of 18-year-old attacking midfielder Tyler Dibling.
The academy gem has given his manager a real decision to make ahead of the start of the season, with fellow 18-year-old Sam Amo-Ameyaw also impressing over the summer.
Dom Ballard is expected to go on loan this summer but the striker is another exciting young talent who shows that the future looks to be in safe hands at Southampton.
Russell Martin has built leadership core at Southampton
Martin made the decision to give Jack Stephens the captain’s armband upon his arrival last summer.
However, with Stephens injured for much of the first half of the season Adam Armstrong stepped up to captain the side.
This summer, new signings Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes – both of whom spent last season on loan at the Saints – have worn the armband at times.
Something Southampton lacked when they were last in the Premier League was leaders and this is something Martin looks to have been keen to address; the arrivals of experienced duo Adam Lallana and Charlie Taylor only helping with this.
Southampton need creativity added before end of August
One thing that was glaringly obvious in the 0-0 draw with Getafe in the last game of pre-season was the lack of a player who can unpick a defence with a killer pass.
Martin is desperate to sign Matt O’Riley from Celtic for exactly that reason, but Southampton could be priced out of a move.
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As well as an attacking midfielder, the Saints need a winger to come in as well at the very least or chances could be very hard to come by.
Ben Brereton Diaz is an astute bit of business
The only attacker to arrive at St Mary’s so far this summer is Ben Brereton Diaz.
What the club lack in terms of quantity of forward signings they have made up for in quality, with Brereton Diaz already looking steal at £7 million.
After scoring on his first start against Lazio, the Chilean was again impressive against Getafe and his ability to play anywhere across the frontline make him a shrewd piece of business.
Martin will be flexible with Southampton formation this season
Martin played almost exclusively with a 4-3-3 at Southampton last season right up until the end of the campaign.
On the final day of the regular season Martin sprung a surprise by playing a 3-5-2 in a 2-0 win over Leeds United before switching between a back three and four throughout the run to play-off glory.
This summer, Martin has utilised both shapes which suggests that this new-found tactical fluidity will be a feature of Southampton’s play this season.
Carlos Alcaraz could still have Southampton future
Carlos Alcaraz found himself behind Stuart Armstrong in the pecking order for the first half of last season before securing a shock January loan to Italian giants Juventus.
After an underwhelming six months in Italy, Alcaraz returned to the south of England this summer with another move away the expected outcome.
However, the 21-year-old is still at the club as things stand and was the standout performer in the 1-1 draw with Lazio despite being sent off as frustrations boiled over in a fiery contest.
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He could still leave, but Alcaraz has shown Martin he could make an impact in the Premier League this season if given the chance.
Martin will trust players who got Southampton to Premier League
Martin did a lot of work to repair a club on its knees last season following Premier League relegation in 2022/23.
Much of that came with building an unbreakable team spirit, getting rid of any bad influences and making sure he had a group of players all pulling in the same direction.
Of the 11 players that started in the final friendly of pre-season against Getafe, only two were new signings.
Sugawara and Brereton Diaz aside, the Southampton side was instantly recognisable from the one that achieved promotion from the Championship last season.
This continuity could be crucial to the Saints’ chances of survival in the top flight this season, with Martin willing to give the core group that got him there a chance in the Premier League.