Will Still could transform £40k-a-week Southampton star – Just like Folarin Balogun at Reims | OneFootball

Will Still will be aiming to replicate what he did with Folarin Balogun at Stade de Reims with Cameron Archer at Southampton.

As they prepare for a return to the Championship, Southampton are beginning a new era with the appointment of Will Still, and there will be hope he can transform a few players, most notably Cameron Archer.

Saints finished last season on a humbling 12 points, a point more than Derby County’s all-time record lowest points tally of 11, set in the 2007/08 campaign.

They will likely undergo major surgery in their squad this summer with a few confirmed departures, such as Adam Lallana’s retirement and Kyle Walker-Peters departing at the end of his contract.

Paul Onuachu to Trabzonspor is happening, whilst there is expected to be strong interest in both Aaron Ramsdale and Mateus Fernandes.

However, one player still at the club that Will Still will be seeking to transform to a similar extent to what he achieved with Folarin Balogun at Stade de Reims is former Aston Villa and Sheffield United striker Archer.

Archer can be Will Still’s next Balogun project

When Will Still took charge of a struggling Reims side, he focused on getting the best out of Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun, and the United States international certainly thrived under Still as Reims went on a long, unbeaten run of form.

Reims went on a record-breaking 17-game unbeaten streak from when Still took charge, and Balogun was instrumental in that run of form and the youngster eventually went on to hit 21 goals in 34 starts in Ligue 1.

Having shown glimpses of quality with Arsenal and then on loan at Middlesbrough, it wasn’t until he arrived in France, and especially with Still, where Balogun thrived and eventually earned a move to Monaco in the summer of 2023 for a fee believed to be in the region of £25.7 million.

There have been parallels between Balogun and Archer throughout their careers, with Archer joining Boro on a six-month loan deal in the January transfer window after Balogun’s mid-season arrival upon Teesside.

Balogun thrived under the management of Still, and there will be a hope and a belief from Saints supporters that Still can do the same for Archer.

Archer has shown signs of quality

There are further similarities between Balogun and Archer in terms of their style and profile, too, with both having linked up with Still at a point in their career where their potential was evident, but it needed to be unlocked.

Both adept at getting in behind, the two share a poacher's instinct in the box and, what Archer has earned himself a reputation for is also shared with Balogun, as they are both excellent instinctive finishers, especially when playing with confidence.

If Still can instil a level of confidence within Archer that was perhaps shown best during that loan spell at the Riverside, then it could well be that Saints have a 20-goal-a-season striker ready and raring to go within their squad.

With suggestions that Southampton are open to the departure of Adam Armstrong, according to Alfie House on BBC Radio Solent, Archer is likely to have to step up to the plate at St Mary’s next season.

Having notched just two goals in 35 Premier League appearances last season, that may well be unwanted pressure on the shoulders of the 23-year-old Walsall-born attacker. His £40k-a-week contract (according to Capology estimates) will do that anyway, but a lack of goals will be more pressing on his mind.

However, as he has shown at both Boro and on loan at Preston North End, there is a player there, and, just like Still did with Balogun, there will be hope that his potential can be unlocked by his new manager.