Southampton will be looking to make vital additions to their squad ahead of their Premier League return but will have to be mindful of potential departures too.
The club have made Taylor Harwood-Bellis their first signing of the summer – as the defender’s permanent capture was confirmed alongside promotion – with Ryan Fraser expected to soon follow.
However, they could now face an uphill battle to convince one of their key players from last season to stay at the club beyond this summer, with a third competitor now entering the race for this signature.
Given he has had the offer of a new contract on the table for most of the season, it has been widely accepted that Che Adams would leave Southampton upon the expiration of his deal this summer.
However, when Southampton published their retained list recently it was a surprise to see the club confirm Stuart Armstrong would be leaving following the end of his deal but that Adams was still in negotiations with the club.
The 27-year-old has been the subject of constant transfer speculation for the past two seasons, with his contract situation only serving to fuel the fire.
Wolves and Nottingham Forest have been reported as the two clubs pushing hardest for his signing, but now a surprise third club has joined the race.
Saudi club add Che Adams to ‘list of targets’
If Southampton had failed to secure promotion in the play-off final against Leeds United then it is all but guaranteed that Adams would have left this summer.
Promotion opens the door to a stay, but it still seems unlikely the Scotland striker will extend his time at St Mary’s.
Adams is unlikely to make a decision on his future until his international duties are over this summer, with Scotland’s Euros campaign starting against hosts Germany on 14th June.
Now, it looks like he may have another offer to consider, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing on ‘X’ that a Saudi Arabian club are now interested in a move for the player who scored 15 Championship goals this season.
Jacobs posted: ‘Exclusive: Al Shabab have added Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Che Adams to their list of targets, alongside Rafa Silva.
Al-Shabab have been one of the most active Saudi clubs so far this summer and are now hoping to bring in at least two big names in the coming weeks.
Aubameyang is a long-standing Saudi target. Adams pursued by Wolves and Nottingham Forest, but Shabab hoping to persuade him to move to Saudi instead.
Shabab have been working on Silva since early May, as revealed last month.’
Adams likely to turn down Al-Shabab transfer
Whilst the riches of a move to Al-Shabab may be appealing, it would be a real surprise to see Adams make the move.
At 27, the striker is in the prime of his career and has seemingly had his heart set on a return to the Premier League since the moment Southampton were relegated in 2023.
Wolves have long-standing interest and are a good side under Gary O’Neil, whilst he has the potential to be a key player at both Nottingham Forest and Southampton.
Many players have surprised football fans by making the move to Saudi in their peak years, with Wolves’ own former captain Ruben Neves just one example.
This news has served to further complicate the ongoing saga regarding Adams’ future, but Southampton will hope for a swift resolution as they may need to move on from Adams very quickly.