Southampton are preparing for a return to the Premier League after a one-year absence following promotion via the Championship play-offs.
Manager Russell Martin will have a good idea of what positions he wants to strengthen this summer, but the ever-changing landscape of the transfer market is always difficult to navigate.
The club have already welcomed Taylor Harwood-Bellis permanently after his successful loan, with Adam Lallana also confirmed to be returning to the Saints once his Brighton contract expires at the end of June.
Saman Ghoddos and Ryan Fraser also look set to sign for free to add much-needed experience, but Southampton’s business will not stop there.
Now, the St Mary’s club are being linked with a move for a young talent who could add some firepower ahead of next season.
Southampton considering Cameron Archer signing
Despite promotion, Southampton look likely to lose centre-forward Che Adams when his deal comes to an end this summer.
Sekou Mara could also be offloaded having failed to live up to his early promise since joining as a 19-year-old in 2022, which would leave Southampton with just Ross Stewart and Adam Armstrong as senior strikers.
Armstrong’s best work came when he played wide last season, so it is likely Southampton will target two strikers this summer.
One of those players could be Cameron Archer, who spent last season at Sheffield United but was bought back by Aston Villa upon the Blades’ relegation as per the terms of the £18 million deal.
That is according to talkSPORT‘s Chief Football Correspondent Alex Crook, who has revealed that Southampton are ‘among the clubs interested’ in a move for the 22-year-old to ‘add more firepower’ to their attack.
Archer talented but a risk for Southampton
As mentioned, Sheffield United saw fit to part with £18 million to sign England under-21 international Archer last summer, but he has now returned to Villa.
That move is problematic for Villa who have PSR concerns and now need to find another buyer for Archer to help write off the £18 million they thought they had banked.
Archer did relatively well at Sheffield United last season when you consider how poor the side were as they finished bottom of the Premier League with just 16 points.
The striker scored four and assisted one in 30 top flight games, but it was the season prior at Middlesbrough that he really showed his potential with 11 goals and six assists in 20 Championship games.
Boro boss Michael Carrick was a big fan of the youngster, saying in February 2023: “I thought he was terrific, Cameron, and showed everything he is about.
“Credit to him, he’s a terrific lad who’s settled really quickly and loves it here. He’s a big part of the group and I thought his performance in terms of his movement and finishing was excellent.
“He’s smart and he’s clever. His link-up play and all-round game, for being a little bit smaller, he uses his body really well. All round it was a really good performance and getting his goals is obviously a massive lift for him.”
Archer could prove a real gem and Southampton could really benefit from providing him a platform to perform.
However, it would be a massive risk to sign him as their primary striker this summer and a more experienced alternative should also be brought in to ease the burden.
