Double Southampton FC transfer update will be music to Saints fans' ears | OneFootball

Southampton are beginning to hit their stride in the final few days of the transfer window

Given all the noise surrounding Southampton this summer, the transfer window has taken a little more of a backseat than it typically would, but as the deadline looms, the Saints are starting to kick into gear a little more.

The main story at St Mary's over the summer regarded the fallout of spygate. In some way, it's still ongoing. Despite the backing of Tonda Eckert from owner Dragan Solak, we're still unsure what the result of the FA charges against the German boss will be, one month after they were issued.

With all that uncertainty, there were big question marks surrounding the future of players at Southampton.

Whether they'd seek moves away due to the disgraceful nature of how last season ended, what the impressive loanees, Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz, would do over the summer, and if that would mean that the Saints needed to rebuild a whole new squad.

Southampton's summer transfer business is set to run all the way to the deadline

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As it happens, the bulk of the squad, for the most part, has stayed the same. No one tore up their deals, as was the immediate speculation after their expulsion from the play-off final, and both Peretz and Larin signed permanently after their loans.

Outside of that, one or two quality additions have been made. Lewis Dobbin came in to bolster the attacking midfield spot, Kevin Schlotterbeck added to their defensive core, and Divin Mubama was loaned to replace the departing Ross Stewart, but there's still plenty to do ahead of the window closing on September 1.

Southampton's squad is still pretty bulky when it comes to the number of players deemed surplus to requirements, the majority of whom weren't around during their impressive unbeaten run in 2026, due to being out on loan elsewhere.

Indeed, Aaron Ramsdale, Damion Downs, Gavin Bazunu, Ben Brereton Diaz, Yuki Sugawara, and Juan Larios, were all not involved under Eckert in the second half of last season and are all likely to need to leave before next Tuesday, which is a lot of business to do in such a short space of time.

Southampton are beginning to clear out their unwanted players

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As the transfer window enters its twilight days, Southampton have begun their mini-fire sale of their players who you probably can't even describe as being on the fringes of the first team — they're arguably even further away than that.

Bazunu, who has had a really tough few years due to injury, is set to start anew at fellow Championship side Bolton Wanderers.

The Irishman cost the Saints £12 million four summers ago from Manchester City, and was highly regarded as one of the next up-and-coming keepers. He kept 11 clean sheets in 41 Championship games under Russell Martin, before an Achilles injury curtailed that season.

Poor loan spells at Standard Liege and Stoke City, sandwiched between a failed resurgence back in the Saints squad under Will Still, have seen his career stall massively, and there'll be hope he can restart that at the Toughsheet Stadium.

Meanwhile, Brereton Diaz has been loaned out to Sheffield United for the third time in his career, having beaten Derby County and Stoke to his signature.

Vital incomings are also being made, despite the needed departures

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But that's not to say that all Southampton needed to do in the final days of the window was to find new homes for their unwanted personnel. Additions needed to be made, too.

While Tonda Eckert was able to keep the majority of that squad together from the end of last season, they were powerless to stop Shea Charles from joining Fulham for £30 million.

It was seen how effective it was for Southampton to have four quality options in the middle to rotate game-by-game during their packed schedule towards the back end of last season, as the Saints juggled a deep FA Cup run with an unbeaten league run, too.

And with Casper Jander also missing time to begin this season, Tonda Eckert has had to put together some makeshift midfield pairings alongside Flynn Downes and Cameron Bragg.

So, in comes a returning James Ward-Prowse, three years after he left the south coast for West Ham United, which then brought an end to a 20-year association with the club he came through the academy at.

The 31-year-old has 410 Southampton appearances under his belt and will be looking to make up for lost time after spending the last two seasons bouncing around different loan spells and being unfavoured at the London Stadium.

Southampton fans can be encouraged by the business ahead of the final stages of the summer transfer window

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With all the loose ends at the club, Southampton beginning to trim the fat of their squad will give a clear indication of who will be sticking around and contributing to Tonda Eckert's side as the campaign starts to get up a gear.

Additionally, with speculation surrounding the possible departure of star defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, for which Schlotterbeck is NOT a direct replacement, it'll be appreciated to have that transfer noise quieten for a few months after the window is closed.

But if the one-time England international does leave, then Saints fans can be encouraged that an apt replacement can be found, like it was for Charles.

With Ward-Prowse coming in and the offloading of some players surplus to requirements, it's been a solid start to the final few days of the summer transfer window.