Double Southampton player exit tipped in new update | OneFootball

Juan Larios and Ben Brereton Diaz are both expected to leave Southampton permanently in the summer transfer window.

It has been a chaotic period for Southampton as they continue to deal with the fallout from ‘Spygate’, which saw the club expelled from the play-offs.

There remains major doubt over the future of boss Tonda Eckert due to his involvement in the situation, so some huge decisions are looming for the hierarchy at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Once the managerial position is resolved, attention will quickly turn to reshaping the squad for the 2026/27 campaign, which Saints will begin with a four-point deduction.

Clearly, some departures are necessary, as failure to win promotion means several big hitters will be pushing to move.

Juan Larios and Ben Brereton Diaz are expected to leave Southampton

As well as dealing with exits for some star players, Saints also have a lot of players out on loan that are set to return to the club this summer.

Gavin Bazunu, Aaron Ramsdale, Yukinari Sugawara and Damion Downs are just some of those who are scheduled to return to Saints as it stands, and discussions will have to take place with those individuals and their agents about what will happen next.

Juan Larios and Ben Brereton Diaz have also been out on loan this season, but it appears their future is more clear-cut, as the Southampton Daily Echo has revealed that the duo are expected to leave this summer.

Larios, who was with Cultural Leonesa and Real Zaragoza last season, had a very tough year, as both teams he was involved with were relegated from the Spanish second tier, although he did get the game time he would’ve wanted.

Now, he’s set to return to Southampton with a year on his contract, and the update states that he is likely to seek a permanent transfer away.

Brereton Diaz has two years to run on his deal with Saints, but it’s said that his ‘future very likely remains away’ from the club after his year with Derby.

The Chile international scored seven league goals in 40 appearances as John Eustace’s side missed out on a play-off place on the final day.

Southampton need a major overhaul this summer

This summer was always going to be problematic for Southampton if they failed to win promotion, as there is so much work to do on the squad.

Obviously, they are going to need some high-profile sales to help fund any incomings, but, as outlined above, there are plenty of players set to return to the club that may not be in the plans.

The immediate concern has to be deciding Eckert’s future, as whoever is in charge will have a big role in deciding who they want to be part of their plans for next season.

Realistically, though, it’s hard to imagine Larios or Brereton Diaz sticking around, so this update won’t come as a major surprise.

With Larios, the move to Saints from Man City’s academy just hasn’t worked out, and he didn’t do enough out on loan to suggest he warrants a chance, which means an exit could suit all parties.

As for Brereton Diaz, the reality is that Southampton have better options in the final third right now, but that may change if some key figures are sold.

He has shown with Derby that he can still do a job at this level, so Saints will hope there is some interest in the attacker, so he could secure a move away when the window opens.