Southampton did not have the most enjoyable of campaigns last year, although it did end with a mixture of euphoria and relief when Mark Hughes swooped in to guide the Saints away from relegation. Hughes’ work earned him the chance to stay in charge for this season and the Welshman has set about putting his stamp on the Saints’ squad in his first transfer window in charge.
Southampton have been busy making signings that in isolation may not be glamorous but together point to a brighter season for the Saints.
West Ham have been the busiest of sides and have dominated the headlines. Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop and Andriy Yarmolenko have all made the move to London, with the side managed by Manuel Pellegrini, tipped to exceed expectations. Of course, significant transfer sprees don’t always end well; Everton’s business last season had punters backing the team to break the top six, but the new signings failed to gel.
Southampton’s lower-profile arrivals bode better for coming in and making an instant improvement to the side, with the club hoping to avoid becoming one of the favourites for relegation with bookmakers.
An instant improvement may be needed, with tensions likely to rise if Hughes gets the team off to another rocky start. Southampton begin their campaign at home to Burnley with strong ambitions of three points. Comparing the Premier League betting odds across a variety of bookmakers finds Southampton considered strong favourites to get their season off to a good start, with prices available of around evens for the Saints to march their way to three points.
If Southampton are to overcome a resilient Burnley side renowned for their team spirit, the likes of Jannik Vestergaard, Stuart Armstrong and Mohammed Elyounoussi will have to settle in swiftly.
Goal threats added to Southampton side
These players have arrived for a moderate financial outlay. Vestergaard has joined for a fee of £18 million from Borussia Monchengladbach, with the 6ft 6in centre-back an unused member of Denmark’s World Cup squad.
Vestergaard is aerially dominant but also capable of passing intelligently, making him the ideal eventual replacement for Virgil van Dijk. Vestergaard will also be a threat in the air from set-pieces, which will encourage many bettors to punt on him as an outsider in the first goalscorer market.
Armstrong also offers a goal threat, but more consistently from further forward. The Scottish international midfielder has enjoyed inevitable success with Celtic but the relative steal at £7 million will be hoping to translate his goalscoring prowess to the Premier League.
The departure of Dusan Tadic to Ajax leaves creative shoes to be filled and Armstrong will hope that he can slot seamlessly into the departing Serb’s spot. Elyounoussi will have similar hopes, with the 23-year-old Norwegian arriving from Basel for a suggested £16 million.
The attacking midfielder bagged 23 goals in 83 matches for Basel, an impressive ratio for someone who isn’t an out-and-out striker. Elyounoussi will likely occupy many fantasy football sides as managers speculate if he can hit the ground running.
Southampton’s other arrival is the highly-rated Angus Gunn from Manchester City, the young goalkeeper impressed on loan at Norwich City last season to the extent that he was drafted into the England squad. Although Jordan Pickford impressed at the World Cup, Gareth Southgate will be excited by the prospect of two young English regulars among the top keepers in the Premier League.
Southampton’s signings are all at an age where they are approaching their prime and Hughes will be hoping that he can move on from being a saviour to relegation to the manager who establishes the Saints in the hunt for European places.