Southampton FC drop footage as previously axed pair return to training | OneFootball

Saints have started their pre-season preparations for the new season

Southampton's preparations for the 2026/27 Championship season have been somewhat unprecedented, with it still remaining to be seen if Tonda Eckert will be allowed to oversee a first full term in charge at St Mary's.

Saints are now just weeks away from a second successive campaign in the division after their relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2024/25 season, and their beginning to the season, in particular, is likely to generate plenty of intrigue.

Indeed, the aforementioned Eckert was handed the reins on the South Coast on an initial interim basis last November following Will Still's prior run of just two wins in 13 competitive matches, before becoming permanent head coach one month later, with his contract running until the end of the new season.

The 33-year-old had banked plenty of credit for the way in which he initially transformed Southampton as they shot up the Championship table from January onwards, with a solitary defeat from then until the end of the season coming in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

However, their overall season would end with the well-documented Spygate scandal which saw the club expelled from the play-offs and docked four points for the 2026/27 campaign.

The FA are still conducting their own investigation into the matter, and a matter of days ago, the governing body were reportedly locked in discussions with Eckert, who previously received backing from Saints owner, Dragan Solak.

That said, the Saints squad have now returned for pre-season training, and official footage from the club includes a previously axed duo.

Aaron Ramsdale and Ben Brereton-Diaz emerge in Southampton FC pre-season training footage

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Naturally, given the calibre of the squad which remains at St Mary's despite the uncertainty which still surrounds the club, there has been plenty of transfer speculation surrounding key players.

The trio of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Leo Scienza and Shea Charles have been in the news more than most on that particular front, with the latter heavily linked with a return to the Premier League through a potential move to Leeds United.

However, within the 20-second video posted on Saints' official X account, a plethora of first-team players could be seen greeting club staff, and amongst those were both Aaron Ramsdale and Ben Brereton-Diaz.

Neither player was involved in Saints' controversial run to the play-offs last term, as they spent the campaigns on loan with Newcastle United and Derby County respectively.

Approximately £32m was spent on the duo when Southampton returned to the Premier League under Russell Martin two summers ago, but they have only made a combined total of 47 appearances for the club in all competitions thus far.

Ramsdale could have potentially remained with Eddie Howe's side beyond the end of last season due to an option-to-buy clause, but this was not exercised by the Magpies after an underwhelming top-flight campaign, while Brereton-Diaz returns after scoring eight goals in 41 outings for the Rams in all competitions, as John Eustace's side finished eighth in the Championship, narrowly missing out on the play-offs.

Southampton have key decisions to make on Aaron Ramsdale and Ben Brereton-Diaz

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What the future holds for Ramsdale and Brereton-Diaz is bound to be a hot topic of discussion, especially with the experience they both bring at the respective ages of 28 and 27.

Saints look set for a reshuffle in their goalkeepers union, though, even after the permanent acquisition of Daniel Peretz from Bayern Munich, with Gavin Bazunu spending an injury-hit period on loan with Stoke City in the second half of last season, while George Long has been signed on a permanent basis from Norwich City.

It would, therefore, come as no real surprise to see Ramsdale sold permanently amid links to clubs in the Premier League and in Europe, even if recouping the £25m they paid to Arsenal is a challenge for Saints.