The Ugly Inside Guide To The Ins And Outs Of Saints Summer Transfer Window
Thursday, 3rd Sep 2026 10:37

With the transfer window in the UK now firmly shut in the UK at least, here is our guide to who has stayed and who has gone, in what has been a busy summer in the revolving door at St Mary's.

Ins

Daniel Peretz - It doesn't seem like a new signing, however the Israeli shot stopper has now joined on a permanent basis.

Cyle Larin - Like Peretz spent the second half of last season on loan and has now also joined on a permanent deal.

George Long = The back up keeper was too on loan here last season and has penned a permanent deal.

Lewis Dobbin - The first new name through the door of the summer, not yet started to make his mark fully, but hopefully he will repeat the likes of Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza & Caspar Jander who all took a month or so to show their quality after signing a year ago.

Divin Mubama - Joined on loan from Manchester City, has already scored and made an impact.

Keven Schlotterbeck - Joined from Augsburg and looked good on his debut last week against Millwall, more of a mixed game at Birmingham, but showed he knows how to head a goal.

James Ward - Prowse - The return of the prodigal son and has already proved his doubters wrong in his first two games, his quality might well be the difference come the final reckoning at the end of the season.

Zach Abbott - The final signing of the summer window, the 20 year old is highly rated by Nottingham Forest fans, he has been sent out by Forest to gain experience in a season long loan with no option to buy at the end , we will soon find out whether he is another Tino Livramento or another Juan Larios.

Outs

Oriol Romeu - (free transfer) - Didn't play much after joining last season, but remains a fan favourite.

Ross Stewart - (free transfer)- Perhaps the one player we will miss as he offered a contrasting attacking option to Cyle Larin.

Charlie Taylor - (free transfer) - Not a loss as out on loan last season.

Alex McCarthy - (free transfer) - Only played 7 Championship games last term.

Will Smallbone - (free transfer) - Not a loss as out on loan last season.

Joe Aribo - (free transfer)- He too only played 7 times before joining Leicester on loan for the second half of the season.

Jay Robinson - (Monza, loan) - Surprising deal to loan him out for the season, we could have done with him.

Shea Charles - (Fulham, £26m + £4m)- One of our best players last season, I don't think we have replaced his physical presence in the squad.

Joshua Quarshie - (Sturm Graz, loan) - Againstrange that we let him out on loan as we now look quite short on central defenders.

Gavin Bazunu - (Bolton Wanderers, nominal fee) Played his part last season and as I have often said, in season 2023/24 you don't go on an unbeaten 23 game run with a dodgy keeper.

Ben Brereton Díaz - (Sheffield United, loan) - Not a loss as out on loan last season

Yukinari Sugawara - (Cagliari, loan) - Not a loss as out on loan last season.

Cameron Archer - (Auxerre, loan) - He played a part last season with some vital goals, but in truth didn't fit the style of play that Tonda Eckert used.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis - (Aston Villa, £25m + £5m) - No one can deny that this is going to be a big miss and the one of players that we truly wanted to keep out of all that left.

Juan Larios - Barely played in 4 years he could perhaps be the 1 member of the squad who could walk down Above Bar and not be recognised, hopefully with his contract terminated by mutual consent he can have a successful career.

Overall I would say that this transfer window is a 7 1/2 out of 10,

However on one hand we cleared out a lot of dead wood and boosted the coffers, in terms of outgoings it was probably an 8 1/2 out of 10, we didn't lose too many key players.

But incoming it is very much 6 1/2, we have some promising players who could well star this season and in James Ward-Prowse a truly Premier League quality player, but there is no real standout signing and there is a lot of uncertainty .

Last of all is the player that is still here and that is Aaron Ramsdale he is undoubtably the best goalkeeper at the club and in truth Daniel Peretz has not been convincing this term, Tonda Eckert has to pick his goalkeeper based on who is the best man for the job, if Daniel Peretz plays well then he is in the team, but if he doesn't then Ramsdale has to be given the nod.

Ramsdale has been professional about the whole situation and if he has to stay, he should be treated as a professional who is picked on merit

All Photos Via Reuters

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mgprobert added 13:04 - Sep 3
So why isn't Aaron Ramsdale playing? Is it down to money - do the appearances cost money?
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bryanK added 13:05 - Sep 3
I mentioned previously my thoughts on Aaron Ramsdale in the “Verdict” article in regard to his inclusion and not exclude him. If the current no 1 goalkeeper performs fine but football is purely based on results and we will not thank the Manager if his loyalty costs us.
As regards to the ins and outs I would have preferred to have kept Archer as a totally different option.
JWP I really hope it works out. Dobbin again I would like it to work out but I have doubts he was worth £9/10 million jury out on this one as Jay Robinson looked a better option.
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ReturnOfThe added 13:53 - Sep 3
I completely agree with briank, particularly in regard to Archer, sometimes you need a different option when things aren’t going well & I don’t think we are sufficiently covered if, heaven forbid, Larin gets injured.
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StRipper added 13:54 - Sep 3
I still don't see the point of us signing young loan players from EPL clubs. Who cares how good a prospect they are when we need them to deliver now and they have no future value to us. Especially if those loans come with strings attached requiring a certain amount of game time.
I appreciate that the view might be that there is no point signing players just for this season, if they aren't going to work in the Prem. However, if that is at the cost of not being good enough to get us out of the Championship, then its all irrelevant. And I feel a bit that that sums up this transfer window.

We could have done with a David Connolly type signing to replace the goals we lost. Instead, we now basically have Azaz, Scienza and Larin as goalscorers. And great as they might be. When it doesn't click, like at Birmingham. There is no bench option who can change the game.
And I'd say Dobbin has a questionable attitude, based on his decision to go out with his mates rather than meet the fans after the Millwall game.

It already feels like the fans are dreaming on a JWP free kick to win games. And that will be such a step backwards in aspiration after some of the quick, exciting, fluid footy that we saw last year
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Bowlercow added 14:06 - Sep 3
We will find out by the end of Oct if we have a chance of a top 2 finish or not I think a play off place is nailed on now that it goes down to eigth
Many are realising that Leo is not a miracle worker so hopefully Sam Edozie will be a time share option with him
Every body looked good against Millwall but the Brum game raised a few questions about our keeper and back four
Certainly the games I have seen have been worth watching so the season still carries a lot of promise
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Monksway added 14:50 - Sep 3
Seems very early days to rush to any kind of judgement but a few thoughts. Losing two £30 million players was always going to have an impact. It was the soar of missing out on promotion and another year with reduced parachute payments. The window was surely about mitigation rather than investment. In keeping Tonda they prioritised stability over yet more upheaval and the signings of Peretz, Larin, Long, was part of a strategy that meant only three players went out from last year's active squad and each has been replaced by JWP, Schlotterbeck and Mubama. Quashie and Robinson need playing time and better to have a Forest loanee warming the bench rather than one of ours that is an investment for the future. Whilst another striker would have been optimum given BBD, Archer and Downs leaving, presumably an upgrade on Princewill wasn't available and he and Akachukwu now have more chance of being in matchday squads and coming off the bench. Edozie will be brought back into the fold and I'm still hopeful that Ramsdale will get a loan to Turkey or Saudi.
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Monksway added 14:56 - Sep 3
( price not soar). Not sure what to make of Dobbin yet but he gives another option out wide or behind the central striker and could be very valuable if Edozie downs tools.
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Jesus_02 added 17:25 - Sep 3
Failing to move Ramsdale on has been the biggest blow, its left us over keen to move on fringe players and unable to bring anyone in that might command higher wages. Up front we might just get away with it but I think we are a centre half and a defensive mid short of mounting an automatice promotion challange.
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onetowatch added 12:50 - Sep 4
Very disappointing window after bringing in over 30mln. JWP doesn't come close to replacing the physical presence in the middle that SC gave us, and Abbot isn't anywhere near replacing THB. So, yes, poor!!
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sledger added 12:59 - Sep 4
ward-prowse I think will prove to be one of the best signings in the division,how he couldn't get in west hams team this year has to be a personal problem with him and the manager anyway thank you nuno.
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