Southampton

If you could only buy one, sell one, and loan out one player at Southampton, who would you pick?

That was the question we asked you to answer, with the transfer window set to open on Friday.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Chris: Buy: James Ward-Prowse - his intelligence, foresight and passing would fit brilliantly in Russell Martin's style if we cannot keep Flynn Downes; there is not really room for them both, though. Sell: Jack Stephens - he does too many risky passes for Martin's style. Loan: Samuel Edozi - to get stronger on the ball and learn when to pass.

Jon: Buy: Flynn Downes - obvious move and a left-back is a big must too. Sell: Lyanco, Duje Caleta-Carr and Paul Onuachu.

Anthony: Buy: Armando Broja. Sell: Samuel Edozie. Loan: Shea Charles.

John: Buy: Flyn Downes. Sell: Ryan Manning.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Football News Reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton are ready to revive their interest in Bournemouth defender Max Aarons.

The Saints want to sign the right-back after returning to the Premier League but Aarons is also being tracked by a number of other top-flight clubs.

Aarons was close to a move to St Mary's last summer before moving to Bournemouth for Premier League football.

Southampton, along with Leeds United, agreed a fee with Norwich City - only for the Cherries to make a last-gasp move to snatch the former England Under-21 international in a £12m deal.

But, after winning the Championship play-offs by beating Leeds 1-0 at Wembley last month, boss Russell Martin wants to bolster his squad with the 24-year-old.

Aarons made just 13 Premier League starts for the Cherries last season, and 23 appearances in total, after a persistent hamstring injury hampered his debut campaign.

Before that, he made over 200 appearances for Norwich, helping the Canaries win two Championship titles, and was in the academy when Martin was captain at Carrow Road.

Ryan Fraser is also close to agreeing a permanent move back to St Mary's after a successful loan from Newcastle United last season.

The club also remain in talks with out-of-contract Che Adams amid interest from Wolves and Nottingham Forest, while the striker also has options in Serie A, Major League Soccer and the Saudio Pro League.

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BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore has been reacting to the rumours that Southampton have agreed a deal to sign Ryan Fraser from Newcastle United, with the "final details left to be done", on the Saints And Sinners podcast.

Fraser joined Southampton on a season-long loan at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign. The winger went on to make 44 appearances for Russell Martin's side, as they gained promotion back to the Premier League.

Blackmore said: "The point is that he is never going to go back to Newcastle, is he?

"I think he is a squad player. I think he has done well in the Premier League for one to two seasons at Bournemouth, between 2016 and 2018. I would say that he is a good man to have around at 30 years old.

"But if he is starting every game in the Premier League, I would be surprised because he actually didn't start that many games in the Championship.

"He is a good signing for a number of reasons, but I don't think he is a great signing. He is an OK signing. I have got him down as a six out of 10.

"He is probably a good bargain, summer strength, squad-filling signing."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Saints And Sinners podcast has dropped on BBC Sounds.

Tom Deacon and Adam Blackmore bring you Southampton chat, including more transfer updates from St Mary's.

Listen to the full episode now

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The transfer window opens on Friday, and we want to know what matters to you most this summer.

If you could only buy one, sell one, and loan out one player at Southampton, who would you pick?

Tell us here, external

Crystal Palace, Ipswich and Southampton are battling it out for Rochdale's 18-year-old Welsh defender George Nevett. (HITC), external

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

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Football News Reporter

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Wolves and Nottingham Forest remain the favourites in the race for Southampton striker Che Adams - despite interest from clubs in Italy, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

The 27-year-old is available on a free transfer and yet to sign a new contract at St Mary's, although the Saints have been in talks over a new deal.

The forward has options abroad, including in Serie A, but Molineux or the City Ground are the most likely destinations as it stands.

Adams is with the Scotland squad preparing for Friday's Euro 2024 opener against hosts Germany in Munich and his future is unlikely to be resolved before the start of the tournament.

Last season, he scored 18 goals to help Russell Martin's Southampton to an instant return to the Premier League after winning the Championship play-offs.

Since a £15m move from Birmingham in 2019, Adams has netted 49 goals in 191 appearances.

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The 2023-24 Premier League season may have only just finished but there is only 10 weeks until the 2024-25 season is scheduled to start.

So what are the key dates that you need to know?

When does the season start and finish?

The 2024-25 Premier League campaign will get under way during the weekend of 17-18 August.

It will take place over 33 weekends, with four midweek rounds and one Bank Holiday matchweek.

To allow for a mid-August start, there will not be a 'winter break' this time around. However, to avoid Christmas and New Year fixture congestion, the league will give more rest time to sides over three of the festive match rounds, with no club playing within 60 hours of another match.

The final round of fixtures will be played on Sunday, 25 May 2025, with all games to kick off at the same time.

When are the fixtures released?

09:00 BST on Tuesday, 18 June.

We will have all the details here for your club as soon as the fixtures are released.

Sign up for news notifications to find out all the key fixtures

When does the transfer window open and close?

The summer window will officially open on Friday, 14 June, which also happens to be the start of Euro 2024, and will remain open until Friday, 30 August at 23:00 BST.

Transfer deadline day has been brought forward this year to be in line with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

Follow your club page and make sure your notifications are on so you don't miss a transfer deal.

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On this week's episode of BBC Radio Solent's Saints and Sinners, Southern Daily Echo sports reporter George Rees-Julian discussed what Southampton supporters can expect from the summer transfer window.

"Southampton are still in talks with Alex McCarthy and Che Adams over new deals. Will that happen? I don't know.

"I actually asked Alex about his future and he told me he hadn't actually thought about it. I asked him about whether he wanted a new deal on the table and he hadn't thought about that either. So that may be an indication of where his head is at.

"There are a lot of things swirling around Che Adams and Wolves. He is supposedly in advanced talks with them, so that may be an indication of where he is heading.

"We also know that Southampton want to keep the loan players they had last season. They want to keep Ryan Fraser and, by all accounts, he wants to stay. There has already been some work done on that.

"It will be a difficult summer for Flynn Downes because he will probably want to stay at Southampton on one hand, but then he is a boyhood West Ham fan on the other. So it is going to be tough for him to decide where he wants to be."

Rees-Julian also revealed his favourite moment from covering Southampton's promotion-winning season, adding: "Wembley is probably too easy of an answer to pick out!

"I think there was something about that Birmingham game [in March], where they were in a bit of a tricky patch and it looked like the season was maybe going to fade away.

"We knew they would be in the play-offs, but you started to think about whether they really had the bottle any more.

"That game reignited the feeling that they could go up, even though they went on to have another tricky patch. I feel like that game was the turning point, in my head, in terms of feeling that they would have some success."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views about what the top priority should be at Southampton as we head into the summer.

Here are some of your responses:

Kevin: We need an additional striker who can poach opportunistic goals. If Che Adams leaves then definitely need a good/better replacement. The style of play is attractive but improve it so more goals are scored.

Ethan: The top priority has to be Flynn Downes on a permanent deal. The team wouldn't have played as well last season without him, so the club should be prepared to pay £30-40m for him.

Mark: A goalkeeper. I would be happy with McCarthy getting a year's extension with Gavin Bazunu out for the season in all likelihood - if not, someone on loan.

Jon: More than anything we need an inspirational captain. Ward-Prowse wasn't and Stephens isn't captain material.

James: Trying not to sign too many average players. I don't want Saints to be the new Forest. Also, get the blend of age and experience right. Let's learn from the mistakes made last time.

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The latest episode of "Saints and Sinners" on BBC Radio Solent is available now on BBC Sounds.

Tom Deacon is joined by Adam Blackmore and the Daily Echo's George Rees-Julian to discuss the latest events at Southampton.

Listen to the full episode here

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Former Southampton captain Jose Fonte says joining the club in 2010 was the "best decision" of his career.

Fonte won Euro 2016 with Portugal and a French league title with Lille in 2021, but pointed out his time at Southampton as one of his career highlights.

"To be honest, it's hard to beat my time at the Saints. That's where my life really changed for the better," Fonte told BBC Radio Solent.

"Arriving in England, playing at Crystal Palace was great but I had to move. When I signed for Southampton, that was the best decision I made in my career because I learned so much, I grew a lot as a person and a player.

"All I've experienced in the lower divisions and what we achieved in the Premier League and going into Europe, it's very hard to beat. It's eight great seasons I will never forget. The love and connection I had with the supporters and everything we went through, it's unforgettable.

"Obviously, winning the Euros is something every player dreams of and it was a great moment. They are different times, different moments and different achievements. But Saints was something like a dream, I was very happy at the time."

Listen to the full interview with Fonte on BBC Sounds

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Former Southampton defender Jose Fonte spoke to BBC Radio Solent about the Saints' promotion to the Premier League:

"I'm delighted with the promotion to the Premier League, it's where the Saints deserve to be. I was very happy with the scenes at Wembley and the performance from the boys.

"It's a tremendous job form Russell Martin - to come in and implement that style of football against the odd critic and the disbelievers. He was able to achieve promotion in great style, it's so enjoyable to watch them play. Great credit to him, his staff, the players and the fans who stuck with the team.

"It could have been a very difficult season if we didn't end up going up, but we got the job done. The most important thing is that we are back where we belong.

"He [Martin] adapted. He recognised what was working and what wasn't and he was able to find the right weapons at the right times. That shows humility and that he knows what the team needs. It's great that he got the job done."

Listen to the full interview here (around six minutes in)

The club summer is off and running, so what's the first thing that needs sorting out at Southampton?

Is it a contract, a transfer, a fan issue or something else?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

In the latest Football Daily 72+, Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by the new Barnsley boss Darrell Clarke as they try and agree on their EFL team of the season.

But, with plenty of choice, who will make the team's starting XI? And who will be managing them?

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former Scotland and Chelsea winger

Image source, Getty Images

It is time to welcome the new hopefuls into the Premier League now that Southampton have joined Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the promised land. It isn’t the friendliest of receptions I have ever seen.

‌Leicester may well be docked points on their arrival and their coach Enzo Maresca looks likely to be lured away within days.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna might also still be whisked away by one of the big boys before the Tractor Boys get to pre-season training.

I wonder what the Premier League has in store for Southampton to make their already tough survival job even harder.

‌Saints finished fourth so were not as good as the top two, but they have had the stress of the extra three games including that gruelling win over Leeds United at Wembley.

On top of that, only now can they start looking to make signings, long after everyone in their 'new' market has been on the case.

They have a tough enough job, so maybe just leave them alone and give them a chance.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter

Liverpool have placed a £20m valuation on 22-year-old Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg, who is attracting interest from Southampton, Brentford and Wolfsburg after a successful loan spell at Mainz. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Saints are also eyeing Sunderland's 23-year-old winger Jack Clarke. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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

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After conquering Leeds United and the nerves of a Wembley play-off final, Southampton are in the Premier League.

We asked you very simply - will Saints stay up? And your response was comprehensive.

At the time of writing, 78% of you who voted said yes, while 22% said no.

Have your say and read the latest vote breakdown here

Harry Tizard
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Season rating: 9/10 - Getting back into the Premier League through the play-off final will live long in the memory but getting thumped 5-0 by Sunderland and Leicester means it couldn't be perfect marks.

Happy with your manager? Delighted with Russell Martin. He had a difficult job after losing so many players in the summer but transformed the club with an attractive brand of football while getting us back into the top flight.

Unsung hero: Will Smallbone made 43 appearances in the Championship, registering six goals and three assists. The midfielder was always reliable and contributed some key goals. He had some critics but silenced them in the second half of the season with some brilliant displays. Also, a little mention for Ryan Fraser, who has been excellent.

Player you'd most like to sign: Southampton must do everything in their power to keep Flynn Downes. The West Ham man was vital to the Saints' success, with Martin's men only winning two of the 13 games he was absent in since his signing. Hopefully, new Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui hasn't seen Downes' ability to win possession, keep hold of the ball and drive forward with it, so will let him stay with the Saints for anything around £30m.

Best away fans: Coventry City could've gone quiet after missing a penalty and going 2-0 in the first half, but the Sky Blues' away fans kept singing after a long trip on a Tuesday night.

Harry Tizard can be found at The Saints Score, external

BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore has been discussing the pros and cons of returning to the Premier League after Southampton's play-off final win on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club:

"The football - [in the Championship] you are winning games.

"At the end of the day we can be as snobby about the Premier League as we like. Ultimately VAR is a disaster. None of us like watching it and when you're a commentator it is a nightmare because you waste your good lines on goals that are then disallowed, so from a selfish point of view it is a disaster.

"Fans have loved not watching VAR and you have the joys of watching football back.

"The ball hits the back of the net, you check the linesman's flag and you celebrate."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, PA Media

Southampton manager Russell Martin deserves credit for adapting Saints' playing style during the course of their promotion-winning campaign, BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore has said.

Martin's first season in charge ended with him leading Saints back to the Premier League at the first attempt via the Championship play-offs.

"He has adapted more than people think," said Blackmore on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club when asked how Martin's preferred possession-based style would transfer into the top flight.

"We've seen him mix his game up in the past few months - he's definitely learned. He's been prepared to play over the top and use the pace of his wide players in a 4-3-3, or play into Che Adams when he's played and hold the ball up.

"He hasn't always played the panicky, 'play out of your six-yard box' that everyone puts a label on him for. In the past few weeks, he's played 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 to get through to win this Championship play-off final.

"He said to me on Sunday: 'We've adapted - we don't go away from our principles, but we need to adapt.' I made the comment that he must be pleased because he's shown he can have a plan B, whereas in a previous incarnation, I think he said: 'If plan A doesn't work, we do plan A better.'

"Now he's realised you do have to adapt. He's learning on the job and I think that's great to see from a young British coach."

Watch the full episode of Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer or listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds