Southampton transfer mistake involving Wolves can be quickly forgotten now | OneFootball

Southampton gambled by selling top scorer Adam Armstrong to Wolves in January, but Cyle Larin's impressive start suggests it may pay off.

The January transfer window was crucial for Southampton after their disappointing season up to that point.

Will Still’s appointment didn’t work out, and the positive impression Tonda Eckert meant he landed the job on a permanent basis.

Despite the upturn in form under the former U21 boss, it was clear that changes needed to be made during the winter window to give Saints a chance to close the gap and reach the play-off places.

Cyle Larin has settled quickly at Southampton after replacing Adam Armstrong

With that in mind, it’s fair to say the decision to sell Adam Armstrong to Wolves in January was a move that caused a lot of debate.

The ex-Blackburn striker is someone who guarantees goals at this level, as Southampton benefited from in the 2023/24 campaign, where he found the net 24 times, which included scoring the winner in the play-off final to take the club to the Premier League.

Whilst he hadn’t replicated that brilliant form this season, Armstrong was still the top scorer at St. Mary’s Stadium, scoring 11 goals in 29 games, which put him among the best in the league before his departure.

Clearly, selling your top scorer when you’re chasing promotion is going to raise eyebrows, so it was a very bold call from the club, which Eckert was also involved in.

What’s more, they effectively replaced Armstrong with Cyle Larin, who joined on loan from Mallorca.

The Canadian’s CV was a worry for Saints fans, as even though he has played for some big clubs, Larin has only hit double figures in the league once since he moved to Europe almost a decade ago.

Plus, he underwhelmed, and barely featured, for Feyenoord, so he wasn’t exactly arriving on the south coast in fine form.

Cyle Larin’s profile could help Southampton as a team

Yet, this could be a shrewd signing for Saints, as Larin has already made his mark on Eckert’s team in a different way.

Firstly, it’s obvious to note that Larin is a completely different profile to Armstrong with his size and physicality, but that powerful frame is better suited to the XI right now.

As he proved against QPR, Larin is willing to battle with the centre-backs, he will run the channels, and he is a more traditional focal point.

This isn’t to downplay Armstrong’s qualities, but he can’t do that, and the likes of Leo Scienza, Finn Azaz and Tom Fellows are better playing with an old-school number nine.

Similar to Ross Stewart, Larin will occupy defenders, which frees up more space for the attacking trio behind, whereas Armstrong would often drop deep, and it can make it more congested and easier to defend.

Like all strikers, Larin will be judged on goals, and two in five since his arrival is a decent return when you consider the minutes he has played.

With Stewart also in good form, Eckert will be pleased with the situation at the moment, but the Scotsman’s fitness issues mean he will have to be managed carefully during the run-in.

So, Larin will get plenty of chances to show his worth, and the early signs indicate the January gamble that Southampton took in bringing him in to replace Armstrong could pay off.

That’s backed up by the stats. Saints are yet to lose since Armstrong departed, winning four and drawing one of their five Championship games, and, crucially, they have scored 13 goals in that period.

Ultimately, the January deals will be scrutinised and judged when the season is over, but Southampton appear to have struck the right balance going forward now, and they are breathing down the neck of the top six.

The manner of their recent performances should have given everyone the belief that they can secure an instant return to the Premier League, even if it looked highly unlikely just a matter of weeks ago.