Leeds United, Everton & Aston Villa 'actively' plotting Southampton FC transfer deal | OneFootball

Southampton risk losing their best player this summer without promotion, with Aston Villa and Leeds United joined in the transfer race by Everton...

Failure to secure an immediate return to the Premier League in 2025/26 could prove hugely damaging for Southampton under Tonda Eckert, as the likes of Leeds United, Everton, and Aston Villa circle their best players.

Parachute payments offer a financial safety net for Southampton currently, but with only one year remaining, the margin for error quickly disappears in 2026/27. Missing out on promotion would leave the club increasingly vulnerable, both financially and competitively, in a division that will grow stronger again next season.

More importantly, there is the inevitable squad overhaul again. Ambitious and high-performing players will not want to spend prolonged periods outside the top flight, particularly when interest from Premier League and European clubs intensifies.

Retaining key assets becomes significantly harder, which another rebuild and disrupts continuity. That is where the real long-term damage can lie, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Leo Scienza, and Shea Charles among those who will definitely be difficult to keep hold of.

Leo Scienza interest grows as Everton join Leeds and Aston Villa in the race

Scienza has been lighting things up, having only joined the club last summer from Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim. Across 39 games in all competitions this season for both clubs, the Brazilian playmaker has notched 10 goals and eight assists.

Also, 15 of those goal involvements have come in 32 Championship matches. Now 27, the winger is showing that he is in his prime and excelling under Tonda Eckert. He has nine goal involvements in the last 12 games in the second tier for Southampton.

Should Southampton fail to gain promotion, it is likely that he will leave after just one season at St. Mary's. In fact, Scienza has attracted interest from Leeds, Spurs, and Aston Villa already in recent weeks as Premier League interest in Southampton's best players mounts.

Alongside Finn Azaz, Scienza is one of the best players in the Championship already, as he has been worth every penny of the reported £7.8 million that the Saints paid for him in August 2025.

According to RTI Esporte in Brazil, the clubs monitoring Scienza have moved into a phase of internal evaluation. Leeds, Everton, and Aston Villa are said to be 'actively' considering signing the player.

They have sent representatives to watch Southampton recently. There is also an acceptance from the Saints that a strong offer — especially one aligned with the €29 million (£25 million) release clause — could be difficult to resist this summer.

The five best players in the Championship, including Leo Scienza

Scienza may be of the opinion that Azaz is the league's best player, but he is more in that conversation himself. The Championship is packed with elite-level talent, with a number of players definitely Premier League quality if given the chance to be.

A handful of players are consistently operating above the rest. Scienza stands out for his creativity with Southampton, ball-striking off both feet, and ability to decide games in tight moments. Abdul Fatawu offers relentless attacking thrust, direct running, and unpredictability in wide areas.

In midfield, Hayden Hackney dictates tempo with progressive passing, and Imran Louza provides a similar level of technical security and composure under pressure, while also providing goals and assists.

Meanwhile, Gus Hamer combines a number of the best attributes of those players, with an end product to match, making him a complete operator. There are others, but those five stand out above the rest. All bring different strengths, but Scienza’s match-winning quality arguably places him as the best.