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Southampton are aiming to return to the Premier League on their first attempt by winning promotion from the Championship this season.
The club will be looking to put their last campaign behind them, as the Saints nearly broke Derby County’s points record, as they accrued just 12 over the course of their 38 games.
Will Still has been appointed as Southampton manager, and there are hopes that the club can turn a corner and get back on track with a top two finish as the target.
This will hopefully bring about a fresh start ahead of the Championship season for several players, as some in the squad look to impress the new coach to revitalise their careers.
However, as Still looks to shape his squad, it will mean they need to recruit some more faces while others will depart.
- READ MORE: Southampton’s five most expensive departures include Club World Cup victor and Sócrates Award winner
Will Still admits several players ‘need to go’
Southampton are currently on their pre-season tour in Catalunya, and they have just lost to Espanyol in their most recent friendly.
Will Still will be pleased to have seen his team battle all the way to the end, as Damion Downs fired a late consolation goal after Javi Puado’s quickfire double.
The Southampton manager used 17 of his 27 players on tour in this match, and he admitted that several of his squad must leave.
Speaking to the Southampton Daily Echo, as he said: “I thought it was the perfect reflection of where we’re at, what we need to strengthen, what we need to work on.
There are players that need to go, there are players that want to go, there are players that need to come in, and players that need to come in quickly.
“But the good thing is that everyone’s aligned on that; everyone knows that that’s the case, and I think that’s just shown today.”
Players that may be leaving Southampton
It was notable that Yukinari Sugawara, Charlie Taylor, and Will Smallbone remained on the bench at Espanyol’s training ground; however, the trio have featured heavily throughout pre-season for Still, indicating that they will play a part this summer.
Meanwhile, those who are rumoured to be leaving, Aaron Ramsdale and Mateus Fernandes, could still leave St. Mary’s despite having some minutes on tour with Southampton.
Still will be hopeful that the summer business can be done relatively soon so he can get working with his final squad ahead of the Championship campaign.