The €30m Southampton star who slept rough before making it big | OneFootball

Leo Scienza endured a remarkable journey before making it big with Southampton

Southampton failed to earn promotion to the Premier League last season, but will be confident of another top eight push in 2026/27.

The Saints earned a place in the play-off final, but ultimately were expelled from the competition for being found guilty of breaching the EFL’s rules related to spying on opposition teams.

Tonda Eckert’s side went on a 21-game unbeaten run in the league, including in the play-offs, to earn a trip to Wembley that was taken from them.

The Hampshire outfit also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Manchester City.

It’s been a relatively quiet summer transfer window for the club, where holding onto key players has proven as important as bringing in fresh faces.

The likes of Leo Scienza and Caspar Jander were linked with moves away in recent months, but both now look likely to stay at St. Mary’s for the season ahead.

Leo Scienza’s unique journey to Southampton

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Scienza made the switch to Southampton in the 2025 summer transfer market following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

And his journey to receiving a price tag worth €30 (£25.6) million makes his rise all the more incredible.

Following the completion of his move to St. Mary’s from Heidenheim, Scienza opened up on how he slept rough before making it big as a footballer.

He revealed that he had been sleeping on floors in a bid to make it as a professional, and that he is thankful to have reached a club like Southampton at the end of it all.

“I’ve been through a lot, I played in a very low league, I had living conditions that were not very optimal – I slept in a bed on the floor, I didn’t have a [big] salary, but these are all things that brought me to this point, not just as a player but also as a person and as a man, to grow a lot,” said Scienza to Southampton in 2025.

“I played in basically every league, from the lowest to the highest, and in the end I was very, very thankful that I could play in the Bundesliga with Heidenheim.

“It was a hell of a journey, and now I am here.

“It is the biggest step for my career, for my life, and I’m very excited.”

The Saints had come bottom of the Premier League table, and they brought in the Brazilian in a bid to contend for a place in the division straight away.

And while they were unable to return to the top flight at the first time of asking, being able to keep him around will give the club confidence that they can fight for promotion again in 2026/27.

Leo Scienza’s impact at Southampton

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Scienza enjoyed a strong first season with the Hampshire outfit, contributing seven goals and 10 assists to help the team come fourth in the second division table.

This led to speculation over his future, with Southampton setting an asking price of around £25 million.

Scienza has a contract until June 2029, putting the club in a strong negotiating position if any offers arrive before the end of the transfer market.

The 27-year-old had a combined expected goals and expected assists (xG+xA) of 0.57 per 90 during 2025/26, making him one of their strongest creative and attacking threats (all stats from Fotmob).

He was also taking 3.13 shots each game, while creating 2.24 chances, so it’s no surprise that Southampton have set a strong asking price for him.

The Brazilian proved his importance to the team with big moments, and his performances were crucial to their rise back up the table.