For the first in over a decade, Southampton Football Club will be competing in the Championship after Rubén Sellés’ men finally failed in the task of avoiding the drop after spending the last five seasons in the bottom half of the table, including multiple scraps to avoid relegation.
Having featured at the bottom of the Premier League table for quite some time, there were always glimpses of what the club was capable of on the back of credible results against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester United, proving they could rise to the occasion against some of the best England had to offer.
BREAKING: Southampton have officially been relegated from the Premier League 🚨📉 pic.twitter.com/IzGHbFDm3g
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 13, 2023
But the reality of club football remains a simple one; to achieve your objectives, you need to beat the clubs at or below your level more consistently rather than those which are streets ahead. In that task, Saints spectacularly failed this season, proving incapable of grinding out three-point hauls against clubs in the bottom half at a rate that would have no doubt saved their skins.
Dropping down the English football ladder will no doubt come with a potential exodus of the club’s top talent as well. Despite their fate, Saints have a cadre of figures in the senior team whose quality continued to show across a heartbreaking 2022-23, with many hardly struggling for suitors in the upcoming summer transfer window.
As such, 101 Great Goals survey five players that could be given a pathway to a Premier League return this summer.
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Roméo Lavia
One of many players who never got their chance at Manchester City despite showing immense promise in the academy ranks, Belgian international midfielder Roméo Lavia has been one of the real leading lights for Southampton this season across what has otherwise been an unmitigated disaster.
Supposed interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool hardly comes as a surprise as the player has jumped at his first real chance of senior football this season, with the Brussels native coming in as the club’s most coveted possession from those outside of St. Mary’s. It would be a real surprise to see him in Saints colors next season.
Armel Bella-Kotchap
One of a handful of young players that were brought into the Saints fold this season after the club had begun to lay the framework for a long-term project n the south coast, German international center-back Armel Bella-Kotchap arrived in England amid a fair degree of fanfare on the back of his performances for Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum.
The Paris-born defender was instrumental in helping Die Unabsteigbaren finish 13th in the table during their first season back in the German top flight for the first time since 2009-10, with Saints doing incredibly well to secure his services ahead of far bigger clubs that were keen on the 21-year-old.
Still raw in certain areas, Bella-Kotchap has proven himself stout in the air and strong when getting stuck into a tackle, while showing himself to be adept at reading play in front of him due to his 2 interceptions per 90min this season. Given his age, potential, and budding experience, ABK should field considerable internet in the summer from bigger clubs as well as those that fancy themselves as smart recruiters. Possible destinations in Brighton, Brentford, or even promoted outfit Burnley could be on the cards, while bigger entities in need of long-term defensive depth could turn to the German.
Kyle Walker-Peters
A versatile defender capable of playing across every position in a back four? English fullback Kyle Walker-Peters will no doubt tick plenty of boxes this summer while being viewed as too good to ply his trade in the Championship.
Walker-Peters spent five years at Tottenham after graduating from the club’s academy ranks before finally leaving the capital for Southampton in the summer of 2020 after making just twelve league appearances for Spurs, thanks to a fantastic loan spell during the 2019-20 campaign. Since his arrival, KWP has been viewed as a vital piece of the defensive setup at St. Mary’s.
Despite a number of injuries across the last few seasons, Walker-Peters’ tactical versatility has been a hallmark of his profile, showing himself equally adept on either side of a back four while even being called into action centrally when needs demanded. While not being the most creative fullback compared to others that may be on the market, his wealth of experience and consistency on the defensive side of the ball should help him attract plenty of suitors during the summer window.
Kamaldeen Sulemana
From an African football perspective, much has been made of the burgeoning potential shown by Ghanaian international winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, with Southampton hoping to tap into his qualities for the long term. After first developing at Right to Dream Academy in Ghana before moving toward Danish production house FC Nordsjælland to critical acclaim, Sulemana made the jump to French football when he moved to Stade Rennais in the summer of 2021.
Initially, Sulemana did well in Brittany, showcasing the blistering pace that he has done well to marry with strong technical attributes and an eye for goal, which had many in Ghana’s footballing circle feeling positive surrounding his international involvement in the coming years.
Injuries while at Rennes stifled his development in France and saw him lose his place in the team, Saints jumped at the chance to add another budding young talent into the fold, with Sulemana immediately coming into the XI after his winter window arrival. Like many of their other young(er) players, Sulemana’s potential is clear, but Saints have not offered the right platform to continue his progression. He could certainly use some Championship seasoning, but his key attributes are such that he could be a value find for a number of clubs in the top flight.
James Ward-Prowse
The question surrounding Saints star James Ward-Prowse has never been whether or not he is good enough for a side bigger than his boyhood club, but rather, if he would ever leave.
Born in Portsmouth and a Saints academy graduate, JWP has been his entire career at St. Mary’s Stadium after making his Premier League debut in 2012-13. Since then, the England international has gone on to score 48 goals for the club across 341 Premier League appearances.
Touted by many as one of the best free-kick specialists in league history, JWP would hardly struggle to find suitors in the English top flight this summer, not just for his dead-ball capabilities, but also his leadership qualities and tactical versatility. Now in his prime playing years, he may potentially be forced to choose between trying to guide his boyhood club back to the big time or secure a move away from Saints’ troubles to a level he is more than good enough for.
