How much Southampton saved on wages after eight-player exodus | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at how much Southampton have saved on wages in the wake of their retained list

Southampton finally released their retained list for the 2025/26 campaign, detailing eight first-team players who will be leaving the club at the expiry of their contracts.

Among those were players with a whole range of roles, from veterans with hundreds of Saints appearances, such as Oriol Romeu and Alex McCarthy and people who spent last season out on loan, like Will Smallbone, Charlie Taylor and Joe Aribo.

There was also Ross Stewart, who had suffered numerous injuries during his time on the south coast, but had finally found his fitness last season, netting 11 in 33 games in all competitions to earn himself a place in Scotland's World Cup squad this summer.

Regardless of how Southampton fans feel about the departures, and the Stewart news definitely divided opinion, one thing that everyone can agree on is that these eight releases have freed up a good chunk of the wage bill to reinvest elsewhere.

The Saints are still adjusting to life back in the Championship, and while their parachute payments and the fees they recouped for the likes of Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes last summer won't force them to sell anyone, the opportunity to reduce the wage bill by letting go of some players will, overall, be a positive thing.

How much Southampton have saved by letting go of eight senior players

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Per Southampton's retained list, Romeu, Smallbone, Stewart, McCarthy, Aribo and Taylor will join veteran goalkeeper Jamie Jones, who joined the club in February to act as emergency cover and Elias Jelert, who returns to parent club Galatasaray, as players who will leave St Mary's this summer.

Per Capology's estimates, goalkeeper McCarthy is the highest earner out of the eight who are leaving at the end of their contracts. In fact, only Finn Azaz is said to earn more than the 36-year-old, who was bringing in £40,000 per week.

Further down, Aribo, who spent the latter half of the season on loan at Leicester City, was estimated to be on £35,000. The former Rangers man was earning double that during the Saints' last foray into the second tier back in 2023/24, but many still agree that to be an overpay.

Jalert only made eight league appearances for the Saints and was a victim of the strong depth that Tonda Eckert had at his disposal. He was said to be earning £30,000 per week, as was Taylor, who spent the season at West Brom. Romeu, who played just six times in the Championship, was below that on £25,000.

The most controversial departure of the eight, Stewart, left as the two parties couldn't agree on fresh terms. Whether that would have seen the 29-year-old earn more than the £20,000 he was estimated to be earning is unknown. If it was, perhaps it was the right call, as the Scot made just 50 appearances in three years on the south coast due to injury.

And finally, Southampton academy graduate Smallbone agreed his recent deal before his breakout year in 2023/24, and thus was one of the club's lowest earners at just £5,000 per week. Jones wasn't even included in Capology's estimated wage bill, but the expectations were that the experienced shot-stopper would be on even less than Smallbone.

Overall, that equates to an estimated £185,000 per week of the wage bill freed up, which represents just over 30% of the overall payroll at St Mary's this past season.

Southampton's contract decisions will help bolster the squad for the 2026/27 campaign

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The longer a team stays in the Championship, the more difficult it is to pay top-level wages, so to free up such a significant chunk of the overall bill is a massive positive this summer at St Mary's.

Plus, it allows them to spend a little more on players whom Tonda Eckert knows will make an impact for him next season, rather than continue to pay people who contributed little to nothing. Other than Stewart, none of the released personnel were regular features of the Saints squad last season.

Cyle Larin and Daniel Peretz have had their loan moves made permanent, and James Bree has had his expiring contract extended already this summer, and they'll likely be given wages that will compete with the top earners at the club, given their importance last season.

Plus, with owner Dragan Solak admitting that he wants a top attacking midfielder this summer, freeing up a decent amount of the wage bill will definitely help contribute to Southampton getting the right man to improve the squad.

It seems like the Saints squad will be a lot more streamlined this season, with a focus on having fewer players overall but with more quality across the board. That could be the recipe for going one better than last season and securing promotion back to the Premier League.