Southampton narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship last season following a disastrous campaign that came on the back of four successive top-eight finishes, and they now need a strong transfer window under new boss Mark Hughes in order to ensure they don’t find themselves in the same situation again next term.

The Welshman will be keen to bring the feel-good factor back to St Mary’s and carry on the impressive form and performances his side were showing towards the end of the 2017/18 season, and that could include undertaking a major overhaul of his squad – which could see some new arrivals on the south coast – Saints fans are split on the potential signing of a 6ft 1in Championship star – as well as some notable departures.

Yet, transfer business can be complicated – especially with less time to get deals over the line this year with the window slamming shut on August 9 – and interconnected, and we’ve taken a closer look at how their dealings might interfere with the plans of their Premier League rivals this summer…

Mario Lemina joins West Ham

The Mirror reported on June 7 that the Southampton midfielder is a summer target for the east London outfit, and an exit could definitely be on the cards for the Gabon international before August 9.

While he showed glimpses on the quality that he has and successfully completed 55 of the 62 dribbles he attempted, as per WhoScored.com, in 25 Premier league appearances last term, there were other occasions – including in the consecutive 3-0 defeats against Newcastle United and West Ham United in March – where he struggled, and Hughes may feel that he isn’t the type of player that is needed in his squad next season.

A move to the ambitious West Ham could make sense in that respect, as Manuel Pellegrini looks to add some quality and pace to his newly-inherited squad.

Southampton sign James Maddison

According to reports in The Mirror, Southampton are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing highly-rated Norwich City attacking midfielder Maddison this summer.

The departure of Lemina to West Ham would create a gap in the squad and boost Hughes’ summer budget, allowing him to be able to meet the £25m price tag that it could take to sign the 21-year-old ahead of their competition.

Saints lacked creativity and a goal threat from midfield areas last term, and the England U21 would bring both of those things given he scored 14 goals and provided a further eight assists in 44 Championship matches last season, and would get the guaranteed starts that he is almost certainly looking for.

Everton sign Jack Grealish

The Toffees are one of the clubs in the race to sign Maddison, according to The Mirror, and should they lose out to Southampton for the 21-year-old then Marco Silva would need to look elsewhere if he wants a younger pair of legs for the central or attacking midfield positions.

Another young Championship player that could be in big demand this summer and is also reported to be a target for the Merseyside outfit is Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish.

The 22-year-old was part of the side that missed out on promotion to the Premier League after his team were beaten 1-0 by Fulham in the play-off final at Wembley last month, and Everton must take advantage of Villa’s financial troubles and bring him to Goodison Park – especially if they miss out on Maddison.

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