Southampton don’t have long left to provide Russell Martin with the signings he will feel he needs to keep the club in the Premier League this season.
Despite promotion to the top flight via the Championship play-offs, it could be argued that Southampton‘s starting XI is yet to really be improved with less than two weeks until the season kicks off.
Stuart Armstrong and Che Adams both left the club after playing key roles in promotion following the expiration of their contracts, whilst David Brooks, Joe Rothwell and Ryan Fraser all returned to their parent clubs following the end of their loans.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Flynn Downes have both signed permanently but were a feature of the side last season, whilst free agent incomings Adam Lallana and Charlie Taylor are not signings fans will be too excited about.
Ben Brereton Diaz is the latest arrival and is widely considered an upgrade on Adams, but defensive trio Yukinari Sugawara, Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood are all unknown quantities at Premier League level.
The attacking areas certainly need additions in the final few weeks of the transfer window, but goalkeeper is also a problem position for Russell Martin with Gavin Bazunu injured.
Southampton now look to have been handed a boost in their efforts to address that issue, though.
Arsenal perform ‘unexpected’ Aaron Ramsdale U-turn amid Southampton interest
With Bazunu expected to be absent well into the new season through the Achilles injury he sustained in April, Martin knows he needs a new goalkeeper.
Alex McCarthy stepped up in Bazunu’s absence last season and was impressive in the play-offs but his shortcomings with the ball at his feet are difficult to ignore for a side who look to build from the back in the way Southampton do.
Mateusz Lis has failed to grasp his opportunity in pre-season and will likely head back to Saints’ sister club Goztepe for the new season, whilst Joe Lumley is only considered a back-up.
Southampton had been linked with moves for both Jason Steele and Aaron Ramsdale earlier in the window, but it now looks as though their chances of securing a deal for the latter have increased due to an Arsenal decision.
That is according to GiveMeSport, who report that Southampton ‘have been given renewed hope of being able to land Ramsdale as Arsenal may be open to negotiating a loan deal if he is still on their books close to the end of the month’.
The report goes on to claim that there were ‘doubts over whether Southampton could sign Ramsdale on a permanent basis due to his price tag’ but that Arsenal’s ‘unexpected decision’ means he could now join the Saints for the season.
Ramsdale perfect solution to Southampton goalkeeper problem
Ramsdale is a very good goalkeeper who many felt was treated harshly in being replaced by David Raya after just one season as Arsenal’s number one.
Fresh from his role as back-up to Jordan Pickford for England at the Euros, Ramsdale will not be content with another season sitting on the bench and the fact he is likely to push for an exit only serves to help Southampton.
Speaking on Ramsdale after Raya had displaced him as first-choice at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta said: “He’s been exceptional around the place with the situation. Like everybody.
“We love him more for sure. We have him every day. We know him, we know his character and we are really happy to have him.
“I don’t think I’m the one to answer the question about Aaron Ramsdale’s quality because I’m the one who signed him when everyone else was questioning that decision. So I don’t think I’m the one to answer that question.”
A good character who has obvious pedigree, Ramsdale would resolve the goalkeeper position for the season and a loan deal means that Southampton can reassess their options next summer once Bazunu has returned from injury.
The loan move would also mean that Martin has more funds to spend on other areas.