Southampton set to start Championship campaign without key man as Crystal Palace plot £20m swoop.
Southampton will be looking to assemble a squad capable of dominating the Championship next season, but one key player may be leaving this summer.
After snatching promotion in the Championship play-offs last season, Southampton were always going to face a difficult task in staying in the Premier League.
Things did not go as planned for the Saints, and they narrowly missed breaking Derby County’s record as the worst team in top flight history.
Southampton will return to the second tier in 2025/26, but there will be a lot to deal with this summer, including the hiring of a new manager and the expected sale of players.
Crystal Palace wants to sign Mateus Fernandes from Southampton.
Mateus Fernandes, according to Alan Nixon’s Patreon report, could leave the club this summer.
The Portuguese midfielder joined Southampton from Sporting Lisbon last summer, and despite a disappointing season overall, Fernandes has emerged as a standout for Southampton.
Crystal Palace, the FA Cup winners, are planning a move to “rescue” Fernandes from relegation and have prepared a £20 million offer for the 20-year-old.
Palace are reportedly looking to make a “quick deal” for Fernandes in order to capitalise on Southampton’s relegation while also preparing for their own European adventure next season.
| Statistics | Mateus Fernandes 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 41 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Pass success | 79.8% |
| Shot-creating actions/90 | 2.33 |
| Tackles won/90 | 1.49 |
| Touches/90 | 54.5 |
A summer of significant change for Southampton.
Southampton are not in good shape going into the summer. First and foremost, they must find a new manager.
Simon Rusk has been in temporary charge since April 7, when Ivan Juric left. Will Still appears to be the most likely candidate to take over at St. Mary’s right now.
However, Frank Lampard is also in the running for the Southampton job and is believed to be interested in making the move.
Southampton may replace Aaron Ramsdale with Anthony Patterson, have Luis Guilherme on their shopping list, and are now linked with Wycombe’s Richard Kone.
One thing is certain: the Southampton squad will look very different in August, for better or worse.
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply