The 6 Southampton FC players likely to exit St Mary’s from June onwards

FLW takes a look at the players likely to leave Saints at the end of the season

Southampton are hopeful of an immediate return to the Premier League, and are well-placed in the Championship table to achieve their goal.

Russell Martin’s side are tightly packed with fellow promotion hopefuls Leeds United and Ipswich Town as the season enters the final stages with those on the South Coast hoping their recent blips against Bristol City and Hull City do not affect results going forward.

But should the Saints fail to secure promotion this season, you feel as though a number of their star players could be touted for moves higher up the football pyramid, with a number of the squad impressing for the duration of their season.

FLW take a look at the six players likely to leave St. Mary’s this season, including the players whose contracts run out this summer.

1Joe Lumley

With Southampton needing a third-choice goalkeeper in the summer to play as backup to Gavin Bazunu and Alex McCarthy, Martin brought Joe Lumley in following his release by Middlesbrough.

Lumley spent last season on loan at Reading from Boro, and despite the Royals’ relegation to League One, he was named Players’ Player of the Year for his efforts between the sticks.

The 28-year-old however, has moved up the pecking order at the club, with Alex Crook revealing to GiveMeSport that Alex McCarthy was now seen as the third-choice keeper at the club, but it is unlikely to make an appearance in the Championship in 2023-24 unless both Bazunu happens to be struck down with injuries.

That could well mean he departs this summer.

2Alex McCarthy

A long-serving member of the Southampton squad, Alex McCarthy is into his eighth season at the club – but it could be his last.

The 34-year-old has seen Bazunu become the first-choice goalkeeper in the last year-and-a-half, with Lumley now confirmed as the Saints number two, although the veteran stopper did get a run out under Ruben Selles towards the end of last season.

Due to his home-grown status though, McCarthy is potentially lucrative to other Premier League clubs, and over the summer both Crystal Palace, Everton and Luton Town were interested in him as a backup goalkeeper.

There is every chance now that at this stage of his career, McCarthy could move to a top club in England and be their third-choice for more money than he is on now, so his lengthy association with the Saints could be coming to an end.

3Stuart Armstrong

Stuart Armstrong is another player who has been at Southampton for a while, and when his contract comes to an end in June it will have been six years since he arrived from Celtic.

The 31-year-old has regularly featured over the years in the Premier League for the Saints, but following relegation he was the subject of interest from Italian outfit Torino.

It amounted to nothing for the Scotland international, and whilst he started the season in and out of Martin’s starting XI, Armstrong has become more of a regular since October.

Could Armstrong be ready for a fresh challenge though? Only time will tell – as of October a new deal had not been discussed, but he certainly still offers something in the Saints engine room and would likely still be able to be effective in the Premier League.

4Che Adams

Many expected Che Adams to leave in the summer transfer window, with Everton making a £12 million offer for his services in August, but to the surprise of many, that transfer window closed without the Scotland striker making a move.

With Martin changing systems throughout the season, Adams has been in and out of the starting XI and played as both a centre-forward and an attacking midfielder, and the January addition of David Brooks will only add competition for places at the top end of the pitch.

Adams has still been effective though, but the fact remains that a three-year deal that has been on the table since 2023 has not been signed, with the 27-year-old seemingly keen to keep his options open until the summer to see where Southampton are at in the footballing pyramid.

5Kyle Walker-Peters

One of Saints’ standout players this season has been full-back Kyle Walker-Peters, having been a huge part of their promotion push up until this point.

The former England international has been the subject of interest from a number of sides in the Premier League and across Europe, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man touted for a move in the summer following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League.

In January, interest refused to die down, as the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham United were all linked with moves for the 26-year-old, who, according to Alex Crook, has no interest in signing a new deal with his current employers.

The 26-year-old is not out of contract until 2025, but should Martin’s side fail to achieve promotion this season, you feel they could allow Walker-Peters to leave to ensure they do not lose him on a free transfer next year.

6Jan Bednarek

Another one of Southampton’s top performers this season has been centre-back, Jan Bednarek, with the Polish international becoming a central figure in the Saints’ defence this year.

Despite being another player who is not out of contract until 2025, you feel as though the division the Saints find themselves in next season will have a huge say on the retention of their current squad moving into the 2024/25 campaign.

Bednarek has impressed alongside Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis at the heart of the Saints defence, but the 27-year-old has proved he is a capable defender in the Premier League, meaning newly-promoted sides or teams looking to improve their defence may look to the Southampton man, should the Saints fail to return to the top flight.