Southampton are set to cash in on a striker this summer, despite having a lack of options.
Russell Martin’s side are fully beginning to set the wheels in motion as they look to add to their ranks ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Recent developments have shown that Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu looks set to join Southampton this summer after the midfielder had a medical ahead of a loan move with no obligation to buy.
Elsewhere, the Saints are set to make the permanent signing of Aston Villa attacker Cameron Archer for a reported £15million fee.
Archer applied his trade in the Premier League last season with South Yorkshire based side Sheffield United, where he saw his side relegated after four league goals, whilst playing alongside Saints signing Ben Brereton Diaz, who was with the former Premier League side on loan from Villarreal.
Aside from the incomings at St Mary’s, there are also some players set for the exit, with one handing Southampton a sizeable eight-figure fee.
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Southampton set to receive £10million for Sekou Mara
Sekou Mara looks likely to leave Southampton this summer, with Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg one of the sides interested in signing the striker.
Mara, who arrived at St Mary’s in July 2022, looks set to go for a fee of around ‘£10million’, of which will be an amount that is ‘around breaking even’, per Alfie House on X.
The young French striker was unable to male a significant impact either in the Premier League or Championship for the Saints, with him scoring just four league goals in a grand total of 50 appearances since he joined.
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Southampton reinvestment in Cameron Archer will prove to be a smart one
It’s clear that the signing of Archer from Aston Villa has been made possible as a result of the imminent departure of Mara, who will return to applying his trade in Ligue 1.
There is very little doubt that he could have turned around his fortunes from the previous two seasons, and the Saints have certainly done incredibly well to get such a big fee for him as a result of his lacklustre performances in red & white.
Archer already has proven goal scoring ability in England, and has certainly shown his best in the Championship, something that Mara was also unable to do.
However, it remains to be seen whether Archer can continue to adapt to the Premier League with success, as his stint at a struggling Sheffield United side proves otherwise, however with an improved surface up top, he can make a significant difference at this level.