2021/22 Premier League Preview – Southampton

09/08/21 1925

Southampton showed great promise in the first half of last season before going on a dreadful run and falling by the wayside. Without Danny Ings, do Saints have what it takes to bounce back?

• Manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl

• Stadium: St. Mary’s

• Last Season: 15th

With Ings recently joining Aston Villa, Southampton will almost certainly struggle for goals this season. In fact, it could be difficult for them to improve on last season’s fifteenth-place finish.

Before we look at the club’s summer transfers and discuss what they can achieve in 2021/22, let’s check out how Saints fared last term.

• What Happened Last Season?

Just before the turn of the year, Southampton were sitting pretty atop the Premier League table. However, their campaign quickly fell apart.

The south coast side went on a woeful run between Christmas and the end of the campaign, ending up all the way down in fifteenth.

To make matters worse, Saints finished the season with the second-worst defensive record in the division – conceding 68 goals in 38 games (1.8 goals per game).

• Players In

• Romain Perraud – Stade Brest 92 (£10.80m)
• Valentino Livramento – Chelsea U23 (£5.31m)
• Theo Walcott – Everton (Free)

With Ryan Bertand leaving for Leicester City, Southampton have signed France U21 left-back Romain Perraud from Brest.

Teenage midfielder Valentino Livramento has also joined from Chelsea, while Theo Walcott has turned his loan move from Everton into a permanent deal.

• Players Out

• Danny Ings – Aston Villa (£31.68m)
• Angus Gunn – Norwich City (£5.27)
• Mario Lemina – OGC Nice (£4.95m)
• Ryan Bertrand – Leicester City (Free)
• Jake Hesketh – Eastleigh (Free)
• Wesley Hoedt – RSC Anderlecht (Undisclosed)
• Josh Sims – Released
• Sam McQueen – Released

Yes, Southampton picked up a sizeable fee for Ings. But there is no denying that he will be sorely missed at St. Mary’s. The England striker has finished as the club’s top scorer in each of past two campaigns.

Seven other players have left Saints during the summer window, with Josh Sims and Sam McQueen both getting released.

• Southampton’s Key Player

James Ward-Prowse – Captain and leader, Ward-Prowse is one of the hardest-working midfielders in the Premier League. Not only that, but he is also arguably the best set-piece taker in the division.

The 26-year-old has made a whopping 322 appearances for Southampton, chipping in with 33 goals and 40 assists along the way. With him, Saints would be lost.

• What Can Southampton Achieve in 2021/22?

It is difficult to predict exactly how Saints will fare this season. In all honesty, their 2021/22 could easily go one of two ways.

If they can cope with Ings and hit the ground running, they should be okay. But if they struggle for goals and thing start turning sour, they could find themselves battling at the bottom end of the table.