Southampton getting their transfer business done early

Despite the transfer window only opening on the 14th June, Southampton have wasted no time recruiting players for the upcoming 2024/25 Premier League season.

Four players have committed themselves to Russell Martin‘s side, including a returning academy product,  defender who made 28 Premier League appearances in the 2023/24 season, and a couple of familiar faces from their promotion campaign.

But who are the players that have already signed?

• Incomings

Adam Lallana – Free

Strictly speaking, Lallana is not ‘new’ to Southampton having graduated through the clubs academy, scoring 48 goals in 235 games between 2006 and 2014. However, a 10-year absence from St Mary’s does constitute  ‘new’ in a transfer context.

The now 36-year-old returns one Premier League and one Champions League title richer, adding a wealth of top-flight know-how to the Saints’ squad.

Lallana joins on a one-year deal and, this time around, he will be one of the elder statesmen in the side. Southampton will be looking to tap into his experience as they aim to retain their new-found Premier League status.

Charlie Taylor –  Free

A new signing in all interpretations of the expression. Taylor joins from Burnley on a two-year deal having chosen not to extend his seven-year stint with the Lancashire side.

The 30-year-old defender, much like Lallana, adds further top-flight experience to the Saints with 161 Premier League appearances to his name so far.

Usually operating as a left back, Taylor fills a gap in the roster, after Romain Perraud‘s departure to Real Betis, and offers an extra defensive option to a side that conceded 63 goals last season – the most of any of the three promoted teams.

The key takeaway from these two signings is their effect on the squad’s age profile. Going into their last Premier League campaign, Southampton signed five players under the age of 21; Sekou Mara, Gavin Bazunu,, Juan Larios, Romeo Lavia and Samuel Edozie. This meant 25-year-old’s Joe Aribo and Duje Ćaleta-Car were the most senior additions of that transfer window.

Notably, neither Aribo nor Ćaleta-Car  had any previous Premier League experience, a heavy indication as to why things didn’t quite work out.

Experience seemingly the buzzword for recruitment this summer with the arrival of Lallana and Taylor – a word also befitting the retained players who have secured deals.

• Retained/Returned

Alex McCarthy – Retained

Frozen out last season after a poor performance in a 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Gillingham, Alex McCarthy went from zero to hero when taking back the No.1 spot following Gavin Bazunu‘s season ending injury.

McCarthy had a monumental play-off campaign which culminating in two clean sheets in three games, one of which in a Man of the Match performance in the Semi-final first leg against West Bromwich Albion.

These stellar showings towards the season climax prompted food for thought as the 34-year-old shot stopper’s contract was due to expire on June 30th.

He has since been rewarded with a new two-year deal and will likely be Southampton’s number one next season, barring any further transfer activity in this position.

Once again, Southampton are looking to ensure their squad has relevant and historic Premier League experience ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis – £20m

The youngest senior acquisition so far this transfer window, Taylor Harwood-Bellis made 43 appearances last season as the Saints achieved promotion from the Championship.

Victory in the play-off Final triggered an obligation-to-buy clause in the original loan deal from Manchester City, with the defender officially joining for £20m.

Harwood-Bellis signs a four-year deal on the south coast and the 22-year-old prepares for his first season as a Premier League player after three consecutive loan spells in England’s second tier with Stoke City, Burnley and Southampton respectively.

Age is merely just a number when discussing Harwood-Bellis’ experience, having twice achieved promotion out of the Championship, as well as captaining his country to European Championship victory at Under-21 level. He is certainly no stranger to the big stage or occasion.

Old dogs, new tricks?

Southampton traditionally are associated with nurturing young talent and developing players into the stars of tomorrow. After agreeing a pre-contract deal with Japanese Under-17 forward Rento Takaoka, who will join with the club upon turning 18 in March 2025, it seems this is likely to continue.

However, the Saints’ ‘experience first’ approach to the summer transfer window is a refreshing decision from the clubs hierarchy.

This, perhaps, is an admission of mistakes made back in the summer of 2022, prior to relegation, while taking steps to ensure the same issues are not repeated.

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