Southampton face risky West Brom transfer call - it deserves a rethink | OneFootball

Southampton must reconsider a sale of Cameron Archer this summer following his end-of-season displays

As Southampton anxiously awaits the outcome of Tonda Eckert's charges, the Saints are continuing to remain active in the transfer market and must carefully consider the futures of all players before making final decisions.

Indeed, Southampton cannot yet be certain who will be in the dugout on the opening day of next season at Vicarage Road against Watford, with German boss Tonda Eckert having been charged by the FA over his role in the now-infamous 'spygate' scandal.

A banning order, whilst not yet confirmed, could well take place, as the Saints must have a contingency plan in case of that outcome, with the final decision regarding the futures of some of their players on hold.

Southampton would need to appoint someone else in this case, and they may have a different approach to Eckert in terms of who stays and who goes out of the current squad.

Regardless of who is in the dugout next season, Southampton must carefully consider the futures of all of their players, including a player who made the move to the South Coast for a potential £17 million just two years ago.

Southampton must reconsider Cameron Archer sale this summer amid West Bromwich Albion interest

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Heading into pre-season at Staplewood, a few familiar faces have returned to the Southampton squad following loan spells elsewhere.

The likes of Ben Brereton Diaz, Aaron Ramsdale, Damion Downs, and Yukinari Sugawara have rejoined the Saints squad this summer, where each will be assessed over the best moves for their futures.

In all likelihood, until Eckert's fate is decided, no exits will be sanctioned, which gives the club ample time to reconsider the potential sale of Cameron Archer, who has attracted the interest of West Bromwich Albion as of late.

Archer, 24, came through the youth system at Aston Villa and shone in loan spells with Preston North End and Middlesbrough before joining Sheffield United permanently in the summer of 2023.

Villa would trigger his buyback option after just one year, and subsequently sold him to Southampton in the summer of 2024 for a potential £17 million, but he has struggled to justify that fee in two years at the club.

Archer would score just twice in 35 Premier League games for the Saints as they were relegated in dead last from the top flight in 2025, and following a return to the Championship, struggled to lock down a place in the side under either Will Still or Eckert.

He would score just four and assist three in 30 Championship games last season, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, though showed signs of a rebirth in the latter stages of the campaign.

In his final six appearances of the season, Archer scored twice and grabbed three assists, with two of those appearances coming from the bench, whilst also failing to play the full 90 minutes in either.

His end-of-season form must have given Eckert food for thought, and despite the recent £9 million addition of Lewis Dobbin from Aston Villa, Archer could yet play a big role for Southampton next season.

With 22 goals and ten assists in 70 Championship appearances to date, the 24-year-old is nearly averaging a goal contribution every other game, despite his minutes having been severely limited with Southampton.

Under contract at St Mary's until the summer of 2028, Southampton would be remiss to just allow Archer to leave on the cheap, especially to a division rival, and simply must consider the possibility of him staying beyond the summer window, with a player clearly in there despite having struggled to show it on the South Coast.

Southampton should look to keep Cameron Archer this summer regardless of Tonda Eckert's fate

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Having displayed excellent form in the latter stages of last campaign, Southampton simply must entertain the possibility of making Archer a pivotal role in their side next season.

A loan move to Scottish side Rangers last January fell through, reportedly leaving the Englishman devastated, but despite this disappointment, he took his chance with Southampton when it arose.

If he can be given the confidence and entitlement to express himself in the Southampton side for more minutes, he could yet prove to be an excellent signing for the Saints in the long-term.

With West Brom lurking, a sale may be tempting, but Southampton must hold fire and give the former Aston Villa attacker a proper chance to prove his worth in the Championship, where they could potentially be rewarded emphatically.