Brereton Diaz features: 5 Southampton players with a point to prove to Will Still in the next 3 days | OneFootball

With pre-season in full swing, five Southampton players have just a few days left in Spain to impress new manager Will Still and secure their place.

Will Still named a 27-man squad to travel to Girona for Southampton's pre-season tour. Among them, five players are battling to secure their place in his future plans.

The pre-season has been very interesting and Still must already have the names of Flynn Downes, Shea Charles, and Mateus Fernandes penciled on to his first team sheet. You would do well to name a better midfield three at any club outside the top five leagues in Europe.

However, there are some players who the manager must have huge question marks next to. There are five who some might say shouldn't even have stepped foot on the plane.

Ben Brereton Diaz

Few players have been as unanimously unpopular with supporters as Brereton Diaz. The Chilean hasn't settled since arriving at the club in the summer of 2024 when he was seen as a replacement for Che Adams.

Having paid about £7 million for the player, according to BBC Sport, his Saints career got off to a controversial start when he responded theatrically during an incident with Fabian Schär in last season's curtain-raiser at Newcastle. It earned Schär a red card and Brereton Diaz a reputation as little more than a play-actor.

At Southampton, Diaz has failed to score in 13 competitive matches for the club. During pre-season so far, he has failed to hit the target, or register an assist, against National League Eastleigh, League Two Gillingham, and third tier French outfit, Valenciennes.

Yesterday, in the opening fixture of Saints' Spanish training camp, he failed to contribute again as the team laboured to a 1-1 draw with Castellon. Played as an attacking left-sided player, the Chilean huffed and puffed but looked poor – despite finding plenty of room in which to play.

Ryan Fraser

The 'wee-man' is known to be popular among the squad, and he contributed well to Southampton's promotion last time they found themselves in the Championship.

Still has played him in a central attacking midfield role throughout pre-season, and it's clear to see that the former Newcastle and Bournemouth star is giving it everything. That may not be enough. Fraser is having little impact with the ball, nothing is really coming off for him. However, his work off the ball is admirable and Still will be delighted with that aspect of his game. He is fiery and aggressive, which are traits that the manager looks for in his players.

Much will depend on the fitness and pre-season form of Tyler Dibling, Mateus Fernandes, and Kuryu Matsuki, in determining whether Fraser has done enough to warrant a place in Still's first eleven.

Bree is the only player brought in by Nathan Jones to remain at the club, and it's already clear that he is not in the manager's future plans. The club is actively seeking a right-back and Yukinari Sugawara is preferred to Bree.

In the opening match of the Spanish camp, Bree was overlooked by Still, with centre-back Ronnie Edwards tested in Bree's position. That probably speaks volumes about the former Luton Town player's future at the club.

Will Smallbone

Smallbone is a player that gives his all and Southampton fans appreciate his efforts. Plagued by injury, the 25-year-old Irish citizen is unlucky to find himself on this list.

At Eastleigh, Smallbone looked very rusty and that's being kind. Unlike Shea Charles, Smallbone lacked energy and assurance of touch. Still may want to see more of the box-to-box midfielder that Smallbone has proven that he can be, if he is going to in his plans.

However, Saints' lack of numbers in midfield might save Smallbone from the axe, at least until January, and if he stays fit, he does have the talent to force his way back into contention.

Charlie Taylor

Although he is a solid left-back, Taylor finds himself behind Welington in the pecking order. His performances during pre-season have done little to convince the manager that he is becoming first-choice.

Against Eastleigh, Taylor created overloads with his forward runs but lacked the quality to deliver telling crosses into the box. Defensively, he was caught out of position for Eastleigh's early goal.

Southampton.