£70k-a-week Joe Aribo & another Southampton player must escape in January | OneFootball

Two players who could see January as an escape route from Southampton

Southampton have made a disappointing start to life back in the Championship.

Will Still was appointed as manager in the summer, but he lasted just 13 league games in charge before being dismissed, having overseen just two wins.

This left the Saints stuck in the bottom half of the second division table, hovering just above the relegation zone.

The Hampshire outfit will be hoping that they can turn things around in the coming weeks, to give them a good platform to go into 2026 with.

Here we look at two players that may see the new year as an opportunity to escape Southampton in the upcoming January transfer window…

Cameron Archer

Cameron Archer has struggled to live up to the billing since making the move to Southampton in the 2024 summer window.

The forward had spent time on loan at Preston North End and Middlesbrough, where he impressed with his goalscoring efforts.

However, he has been unable to recapture that form at all at St. Mary’s, and he finds himself down the pecking order of their attacking options at the moment.

The 23-year-old will surely want to find somewhere else that will give him the regular game time that he wants.

A loan move in January might make a lot of sense, as Southampton will want to see him find form and build back up his transfer value given he was signed in a reported £15 million deal.

At present, the Saints will not be able to recover the majority of that money in a permanent sale.

But if he can go out on loan and score a few goals, then that could generate a market for a player that is otherwise clearly not a preferred option in the current Southampton squad.

Joe Aribo

Joe Aribo was a non-entity for Southampton under Still, and that may change under a new permanent manager.

However, the 29-year-old could yet look to make a move away from St. Mary’s in the January market regardless.

According to estimated figures from Capology, the Nigeria international is the highest paid player in the entire first team squad, earning £70,000 per week.

If Southampton aren’t going to be in the mix for automatic promotion, then it will be hard to justify keeping someone at the club on such high wages, regardless of his game time.

The fact that he is also struggling to break into the side only adds more reason for why a permanent sale in the winter would be a smart move for both parties.

While he is an experienced midfielder who has previously been an important part of the side, it’s hard to see him reasserting his place ahead of the likes of Shea Charles and Caspar Jander.

The fact that his contract is also set to expire in the summer only adds further incentive for the Saints to seek a deal now, as it will be their last chance to cash in and earn some money from Aribo, or else he will leave for nothing.