Southampton

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Southampton boss Russell Martin says his team "have a lot to work on" after a limp pre-season defeat at newly promoted Championship side Oxford United.

Saints were 2-0 down by half-time at Kassam Stadium and could not mount a serious response after the break despite Martin making seven substitutions.

"We lacked personality, character and energy for 45 minutes," he told club media after the defeat. "We lacked intensity and that's a problem.

"It's a problem whether it's pre-season, whether it's a game in the Premier League or in the Championship so I'm disappointed by that.

"We have a lot to work on."

It was Southampton's first defeat of pre-season and Martin's side have meetings with Millwall, Lazio and Getafe before opening their Premier League season away to Newcastle on Saturday, 17 August.

"A lot of good stuff has just been overshadowed," he added. "It felt like a pre-season game and I don't like that feeling."

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Two goals late in the first half from Oxford United handed Southampton their first defeat of their pre-season campaign.

So Saints fans, what does Russell Martin need to focus on before the start of the season?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

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Daily Echo reporter George Rees-Julian says Ben Brereton Diaz is the "closest Southampton can get" to a proven Premier League striker within their budget.

Brereton Diaz scored six times in 14 appearances on loan at Sheffield United in the second half of last season.

"I think he's a really good get," Rees-Julian told the BBC's Saints and Sinners podcast.

"We knew they were in the market for a striker when it became clear Che Adams wasn't going to stay. They were in for Liam Delap but he went to Ipswich instead and they were going to pay around £15-20m for him.

"They've managed to get Ben Brereton Diaz instead for half the price of that. They have got a more experienced player who has played in the Premier League before.

"There's a lot of positives in that. Yes, Delap's younger and has more potential, but Diaz is still only 25. If you look at the profile of player he is, he's 6ft 1in, he's decent enough in the air, he can run in behind.

"When you have centre-backs like Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ronnie Edwards they are going to be able to play the ball over the top for him to race through.

"He also likes to play out on the left and drifts in to meet some crosses to score goals or just smashes them in or runs through on goal.

"With the fact Adam Armstrong likes to drift in from the right and you've got Brereton Diaz who can do that from the left and they've done it before together at Blackburn - I think that's a really good partnership going into the season.

"Saints aren't really in the position where they can go out and get a really experienced Premier League striker so Brereton Diaz for £7m is the closest Saints can get to that within the budget. I think he's a really good get."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views on which positions Southampton still need to strengthen before the start of the season, after the Saints confirmed the signing of forward Ben Brereton Diaz.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Malcolm: I think we have done well with the players we have brought in so far. All we need now is a proven Premier League goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale would be ideal, even on a season-long loan, as he would be good cover for Gavin Bazunu. Other than that, a technical and tricky midfielder to replace Stuart Armstrong would be a useful addition. I think squad depth will be key.

Laurie: My first concern would be defensively, especially if Southampton sustain one or two injuries. The midfield is forming but one more attacking midfielder is always good to refresh ideas. There is a need striker-wise because many were played out of position at times - Kamaldeen Sulemana is a good example of this.

James: The squad is coming together nicely but a quality goalkeeper is needed with Bazunu still out. Also, attacking midfielders such as Ryan Fraser and/or David Brooks would be welcome to help create and convert chances.

Nick: Matt O'Riley and Aaron Ramsdale on loan would be a perfect, if very aspirational, end to the transfer window. I'm a bit worried about having cover for Flynn Downes if he gets injured, but I think that we will make do on that front.

Mark: Saints need a 20-goal-a-season striker, but they don't come cheap (enough). I'm hoping that Adam Armstrong can carry his form forward, but otherwise we are still looking a little bit toothless in attack. I'm just worried that we won't have enough to unlock Premier League defences.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Players like Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund are already suffering from hamstring injuries two weeks before the season even starts - and they say the modern preparation regimes are better, safer and more scientific!

They probably are better. At least the players do not have to go through some of the borderline sadistic routines that previous generations did. Back then, after a decent length of summer break, pre-season meant working incredibly hard over a short period of time to get yourself back in top condition fast.

Sprinting up and down gigantic sand dunes against the clock until many players were physically sick was de rigueur, alongside other road runs and track work.

Here is the weird part: I used to look forward to that, the way a class swot looks forward to exams. Being smaller, lighter and a committed long-distance runner all my young life, even before I became a pro footballer, it was, if not exactly a piece of cake, then certainly much easier for me than most of the rest of the team.

I have asked many modern managers what they would prefer to do in a perfect world during their pre-season. The most common answer is "just about anything other than what we are forced to do now!"

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Southampton completed the signing of Villarreal and Chile forward Ben Brereton Diaz on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old, previously a prolific goalscorer for Blackburn in the Championship, performed well in a struggling Sheffield United side during his loan spell with the Blades in the second half of last season.

Now that his transfer has been confirmed, in which positions do you think Southampton still need to strengthen before the end of August?

Have your say, external

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Ben Brereton Diaz says "everything has aligned" for him to join Southampton, while manager Russell Martin feels the club have acquired a "versatile and intelligent footballer".

The 25-year-old striker has signed on a four-year-contract from Villarreal for a fee believed to be around £7m.

Brereton Diaz came through the Nottingham Forest academy before joining Blackburn Rovers in 2018, scoring 47 times in 177 appearances over a five-year spell.

He moved to Villarreal last summer before joining Sheffield United in January where he scored six goals in 14 Premier League appearances.

"I'm absolutely buzzing. It's been smooth these past couple of days, and I'm happy to get everything sorted and signed. I'm really excited to meet everyone, it's great to be involved with this great club," Brereton Diaz said.

"Watching the club when I was younger, it was always in the Premier League. Obviously last season, the way the team played, they went down but they bounced straight back up as a team.

"Also the gaffer as well – everything has aligned together, and I think it's an amazing club. I can’t wait to get started."

Saints boss Russell Martin added: "Im really delighted to welcome Ben to the group. He's a versatile and intelligent footballer, capable of playing in a number of positions across the forward line.

"He is a strong, powerful runner and a confident finisher with a good goalscoring record, including last season’s spell in the Premier League in which he adapted to the level extremely quickly.

"He is a proper team player and the sort of hard-working, hungry character we want in our squad. His athleticism and physicality makes him a great fit for the Premier League, and we think he has all the tools to add to our attacking options."

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Southampton have signed Japanese midifelder Kuryu Matsuki from FC Tokyo.

The-21 year-old has signed a four-year deal at St Mary's and will spend the 2024-25 season on loan at Turkish side Goztepe.

A club statement described Matsuki as an "energetic ball-winning midfielder with an eye for goal".

He has made more than 50 appearances in Japan's top flight and won the Asian young footballer of the year award in 2023.

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Pat Nevin, former Chelsea, Everton and Scotland winger writing in his Football Extra newsletter:

The pre-season friendlies are in full swing and let's be straight about this, the players generally hate these games, whatever they say.

They clearly haven't had enough rest in the summer, it is a grind getting your body back into peak shape, especially if the accumulated injuries from last season haven’t been allowed to fully recover.

The games themselves are weird affairs, where you would like to win but that is nowhere near the most important thing. Fitness, integrating new players, possibly a new manager and sometimes a new system are each more important. You also know full well that it is a hotch-potch of a team selection to give players minutes. The fans, mass media and social media will read far too much into every game and every performance.

From within the team itself, there are different motivations. A young or new player being given his first chance will be racing about like an overexcited spaniel. Other experienced players will be easing themselves back into it, the primary concern in their minds is to be fit and healthy come the first weekend of the Premier League season.

‌Deep down they don't worry if they get thumped by Celtic or DC United on their US tours, nobody at Chelsea or Aston Villa will remember or care about these results in two weeks' time.

‌Unless of course you are a DC or indeed Celtic fan. The Celts just beat Chelsea and Man City. Now that is impressive pre-season form or is that just Scottish bias.

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Villarreal and Chile forward Ben Brereton Diaz, 25, has arrived in Southampton for a medical as he nears a move to the Premier League side. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

We asked for your views on Southampton's imminent £7m signing of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal.

Here are some of your comments:

Alex: I think it's a great signing as he outscored Che last season in only 14 games in a harder league, so I think it's a good upgrade. For under £7m I think it is a bargain signing.

Daz: I think if Russell Martin can sculpt him to his style off play then he would be a good asset to take over from Che Adams. Hopefully with the signings we have made already they all click and we stand a good chance being back in the Premier League.

Ross: I have liked the look of him for a few years, but lacking a bit of Premier League experience.

David: He must be an improvement on Che Adams who never worked hard enough to impress me. With Stewart Armstrong hopefully fit and raring to go, competition between him and potentially Brereton Diaz can only be beneficial.

Marty: He has played alongside Adam Armstrong at Blackburn and I believe Harwood-Bellis, so I can see the strong connections. He would give us a fresh option in attack after losing Adams who was unsettled over his future through last season. It's a bargain price and for a Chile International I'll happily take this! He had a good Premier League debut also!

Gavin: We haven't had a tall target man since Graziano Pelle. I think we have missed that type of player. Could be an upgrade on Che Adams. Good signing!

Southampton are on the verge of the £7m signing of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal.

During his loan spell with Sheffield United, the English-born Chile international scored six goals in 14 Premier League appearances.

What do you make of the move, Saints fans?, external

David Lockwood
BBC Sport Editorial Sustainability Lead

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Los Angeles or Chesterfield? San Diego or Salford?

The pre-season destinations of 20 Premier League clubs may be varied, but the issue remains the same - the impact of so many flights.

Half (10) of the clubs have flown to the United States for friendlies; three have travelled to the Far East and the rest are in Europe and the UK.

Manchester United's pre-season schedule see them flying almost 13,000 miles playing fixtures in Norway, Scotland, and across the US. Chelsea and Tottenham are also expected to fly in excess of 12,000 miles.

In contrast, Everton will fly the least, with just one fixture outside the UK in the Republic of Ireland.

Spurs and Newcastle also played an exhibition fixture in May - three days after the season finished - for which they both flew to Melbourne, Australia, a game Alan Shearer described as “madness”. Add in those air miles and both teams will have travelled in excess of 30,000 air miles in the close-season, equivalent to more than once around the globe, to play in non-competitive matches.

Newcastle and Spurs both have a target to be Net Zero by 2030, while Manchester United and Chelsea are in process of establishing an emissions reduction plan.

Net Zero requires the reduction and removal of all 'non-essential emissions' - so are these games essential?

Wycombe's David Wheeler is a leading sustainability campaigner in football and told BBC Sport: "These games are only necessary in the sense that the clubs want to make more money and grow their fan base".

He added: "The vast majority of players don't want to be away from their families, they don't want to be travelling around the world after a full slog of a season. They're overworked and injuries have gone through the roof, so there is a synergy between player welfare and planetary welfare."

An estimated travelling group of 30 flying 12,864 air miles business class generates around 200 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 500,000 miles driven by an average petrol car, or the entire annual emissions for a year of 16 people in the UK.

Tottenham said it is "committed to minimising its environmental impact" in all its operations, "which will take time and effort". The club says it "ensures" all teams travel "as sustainably as possible throughout the season". It "measures, manages and reports on travel emissions" and will offsets "where possible."

Read more about the Premier League's pre-season air miles here

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Southampton have agreed deals to sign Sao Paulo duo Juan and Wellington.

Both players will move to St Mary's when their contracts with the Brazilian Serie A side expire in January 2025.

Left-back Wellington, 23, and 22-year-old forward Juan are both products of the Sao Paulo youth academy.

Wellington has made 150 appearances for the club, winning the Copa do Brazil and the Supercopa do Brazil in 2024, while Juan has made 80 appearances, scoring eight goals.

Both have represented Brazil at youth level.

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On the latest episode of the Saints and Sinners podcast, BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore spoke about Southampton's academy graduates who have been getting minutes in the club's pre-season matches:

"The young players are great for pre-season and they are very talented. In fact, Adam Lallana said to me that Tyler Dibling is one of the most talented youngsters he's seen. That's coming from a 36 year-old who's been at the top of the game for a long time.

"How much did they play in the Championship? Not a lot, so how much are they going to play in the Premier League? We should all calm down.

"Are they going to be key players in the Premier League? No. Can they step up this summer and become fringe players? Maybe.

"Some of them should go out on loan and get a season of football. They should be playing, taking responsibility and having to win games for a football club. Not coming off the bench with five minutes to go, maybe that would do some of them good.

"Maybe Russell [Martin] does think they've done enough and that's up to him. I don't think we can be hanging the Premier League season on some of the kids doing well in pre-season, otherwise we're in trouble."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Southampton captain Jack Stephens says Adam Lallana "will be vital" for the Saints on and off the pitch this season because of his experience.

Lallana was Russell Martin's first signing of the summer and rejoins 10 years after he left St Mary’s for Liverpool. During his first stint for the club he played 265 games and scored 60 goals.

"When I started seeing all the reports and links, I was thinking how it would be amazing to bring him back," said Stephens, who played previously with the Englishman, to BBC Radio Solent. "But I was not sure if it would be possible.

"Then the manager rang me and said it was happening and asked what I thought about it. I knew it would help us so much because of his experience, but also because his football is still incredible.

"He can help us massively on the pitch, but off it he will be vital because we all know how tough the Premier League is. We know there will be some difficult times so you need players that have been there before and know how to deal with it.

"He will be important for keeping everyone's heads together."

Listen to Stephens full interview on BBC Sounds

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Southampton left-back Juan Larios has provided an injury update after travelling with Russell Martin's pre-season training camp squad to continue his rehabilitation to full fitness.

The Spaniard signed from Manchester City in August 2022 but picked up a severe hamstring injury last season, bringing an end to his debut season and keeping him out of action for 86 games and counting.

Speaking to the club's social media, external from their base in Girona, Larios said: "It is nice to be with the boys, training, and I can feel it.

"I'm feeling good, strong in the legs, so hopefully it can keep going like this. I'm going to work hard to make sure it does. We keep going and training and everything.

"Hopefully I can play a game soon. I'm just working and training day-to-day without thinking too much [into the future], but I'm happy that I'm going to be back soon."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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It isn't quiet in one specific part of the major football clubs - the acquisitions department.

I know that because I was once the acquisitions department - well me and the manager mostly. While each player returned from holidays like a bronzed Adonis, we were cooped up in a small darkened room, beavering the daylight hours away like vampires.

There is plenty of guesswork in the media and a fair bit of leaking from the players and their people, but the clubs usually try to keep their transfer moves as quiet as possible.

If word gets out that a player is available, they know they might lose him to another club or else the price will increase as a bidding war erupts.

‌These are high stakes games and many are impressed by those who gamble and go early.

Manchester City have always been good enough, and let's be honest wealthy enough, to be able to do this well.

The problem is that some clubs are trying to do the same thing and are ending up paying top dollar for less able players, because they haven't done their due diligence in the market.

This is another area where the use of data, or maybe over-reliance on pure data, comes into play - feed all of the numbers in, let the technology do the crunching, and out comes the answer.

The problem is that everyone else has got the same or similar data.

What is needed, of course, is good human knowledge and the vision to aid the use of the information they have got. This is why these departments should be busy just now, they shouldn't just be doing deals which are admittedly very complex legal and financial documents these days.

Even more time should be spent on ensuring the new £75m player hasn't got a hidden weakness in his game or even the odd skeleton in his closet.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra Newsletter