Southampton: The summer transfer window and what they need to do
Analysis, insight and opinion on what Southampton will do in the transfer market this summer...
Monday 24 May 2021 12:13, UK
Which positions are Southampton targeting in the summer transfer window? Which players fit the bill? And what do the stats say?
Which positions are Southampton targeting?
Full-backs, full-backs and more full-backs are top of Southampton's agenda with first-choice left-back Ryan Bertrand leaving the club this summer and their defence struggling whenever Kyle Walker-Peters has been unavailable.
In midfield, with Takumi Minamino unlikely to return when his loan from Liverpool expires at the end of the season, another body in that area of the park will be required to offer competition in Ralph Hasenhuttl's patented 4-2-2-2 formation.
Likewise in attack, whether Danny Ings remains on the south coast or not, there is little natural back-up to challenge his role or that of Che Adams, bar young Nathan Tella who has only one Premier League goal to his name so far.
What do the stats say?
The statistics tell a mixed picture for Southampton, much like their season as a whole. On the whole, Hasenhuttl's pressing game has worked - Southampton have the fifth-highest number of ball recoveries in the final third, and through their intensity, the second-highest number of tackles.
Another positive has been the delivery of James Ward-Prowse, who has played a major part in the fact Saints' 20 goals from set-pieces is bettered only by Chelsea.
So where has it all gone wrong? Well, two areas stand out. Despite winning the ball back so much high up the pitch, Southampton have completed the fourth-lowest number of passes in the final third. So while they're good at getting the ball, they lack composure when they do have it.
At the other end of the pitch, their goalkeepers have not covered themselves in glory either. Both Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster have come in for criticism at different times, and overall the number of goals they would have been expected to concede from the quality shots on target faced (known as expected goals on target conceded) is just over 11 lower than the amount they actually let in.
What the manager has said
Despite the Southampton squad seemingly needing inward investment after its fragility was exposed by a number of injuries in the new year, Ralph Hasenhuttl has moved to play down hopes of significant investment in his playing staff.
Speaking earlier in May, he said: "You see today that when you ask for an interesting player, it very often starts with £20m and we are not able to spend this money in this moment, but this is how it is.
"We then have to pick a few players who maybe have the chance one time to become really good players, they all must fit perfectly for us.
"This is the problem we have here at this club and this is nothing new."
What should Southampton do this summer?
Sky Sports News' Rebecca Williams writes: "Southampton have no doubt had a tricky second half of the season, and will be hoping they can keep hold of their star striker Danny Ings. Ralph Hasenhuttl is confident he will stay at the club, but there has been plenty of reported interest from elsewhere and Ings is yet to commit to a new contract.
"The Saints are certainly in the market for a new left and right back, given the imminent departure of Ryan Bertrand. But given the financial impact of Brexit and the pandemic, Southampton will perhaps have to look for targets from less traditional avenues and Hasenhuttl has admitted they will be eyeing up good value options, with a price tag of less than £10m."
