Adam Armstrong to leave Southampton? Transfer bombshell dropped over Saints talisman | OneFootball

The Saints could lose their star forward in the remainder of the transfer window

It has been reported that Southampton FC could lose their star forward Adam Armstrong in what remains of the current winter transfer window.

The transfer bombshell has been revealed by journalist, Rudy Galetti, via X on Monday evening, with the news coming as a potentially huge blow to Saints head coach, Tonda Eckert, who remains under intense pressure at St Mary's, despite only taking his current post on a permanent basis at the start of last month.

Armstrong has become one of the Championship's most potent goalscorers within the last decade, and he has continued to find the back of the net on a consistent basis this term despite the South Coast side's continued hangover after a calamitous season in the Premier League last term, during which his employers only accumulated 12 points in 38 games.

The Newcastle United academy graduate has continued to lead the line under Eckert, and was part of the starting lineup for Saturday's 2-1 home defeat against Hull City, which made it seven successive league games without victory for the Saints, who remain in mid-table at present, albeit the gap between themselves and the play-offs isn't entirely insurmountable if they were to recapture the strong run of form they embarked on during Eckert's interim period after Will Still's dismissal on November 2nd.

Southampton are currently in the thick of a three-game week in the Championship and a crucial one at that in their quest to right their previous wrongs throughout their opening 27 games.

Indeed, they have the chance to bounce back from defeat against the Tigers in a home clash with Sheffield United on Wednesday night, before they face off against South Coast rivals, Portsmouth, at Fratton Park on Sunday lunchtime.

However, it remains to be seen how involved Armstrong will be in those two fixtures, with a fresh transfer bombshell dropping just over 24 hours ahead of the midweek clash against Chris Wilder's Blades.

Armstrong has become part of the furniture at St Mary's in recent years, despite it being an extremely chaotic and tumultuous period in Saints' history.

The 28-year-old joined the club under Ralph Hasenhuttl back in the summer of 2021 in a reported £15m switch from Blackburn Rovers, although his first season in red and white would yield just two strikes across all competitions.

Since then, though, the experienced forward has gone on to represent Southampton on 172 occasions across all competitions, scoring 43 times and providing a further 23 assists in that time.

His most productive season at St Mary's would come in the Championship under Russell Martin two seasons ago, with Saints returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking under their former boss in May 2024.

Armstrong scored 21 times during the regular season and netted three times in the play-offs against West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United, which included the decisive winner against the Whites in the final at Wembley Stadium.

After a disappointing season back in the top flight, it was confirmed by Eckert's predecessor, Still, that Armstrong would become a part of his plans, and that has certainly been reflected despite the club's underperformance this season.

The former England youth international has featured in 30 matches so far this campaign across the Championship, EFL Cup and FA Cup, and is currently the division's joint-top scorer alongside Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik with 11 strikes, as well as providing four assists.

However, after it was recently claimed that the Premier League's bottom club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, had monitored the Saints forwards' situation, it has now been reported by Galetti that Armstrong is considering a departure.

The fresh bombshell also includes the wording: "After many years playing in England, Adam is assessing the next step in his career," which could suggest a potential move across Europe or the Atlantic.

Southampton FC could struggle to source goals if Adam Armstrong moved on

Aside from Armstrong's 11 strikes, it is fair to say that Saints have struggled to find a consistent source of goals, and a potential exit could leave Eckert extremely short of options.

The German recently sanctioned a loan exit for Damion Downs - which includes an option-to-buy - to Hamburg SV, whilst Ross Stewart marked his recent return to fitness with a goal against Hull on Saturday, and Cameron Archer has also struggled for form.

Armstrong currently has just under 18 months left on his deal, meaning Saints could still negotiate somewhat of a sizeable fee that reflects his importance in terms of goals, experience and leadership, with the striker captaining the club on many occasions so far this season.

As such, an exit for the talisman could leave supporters even more frustrated with ownership group, Sport Republic.