Which of Southampton’s recent departed stars has impressed most at his new club, with Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal all receiving players.
Rickie Lambert celebrates scoring for Liverpool
A number of outstanding players have left Southampton over the last couple of years, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United the beneficiaries of such talent for sizeable transfer fees. But who has impressed the most?
There has been coverage on what the Saints would look like if they still had such talented players at their disposal, but another intriguing discussion is to look at each of the major departures and give them a rating since leaving St Mary’s. In essence, with each of these players leaving Southampton for teams challenging for the top four, does it look like their move was a good career choice?
2014-15 departures
The summer of 2014 saw Mauricio Pochettino depart for Tottenham, and the first big exodus from St Mary’s amid claims the South Coast club would be relegation candidates under Ronald Koeman. A claim firmly put to bed early in the season.
Rickie Lambert: D-
Of all the transfers out, Lambert is arguably the one that Saints fans could understand. The striker was given the chance to move back to his hometown club, having been released as a youngster, after a sensational period with Southampton. Sadly for the attacker, things didn’t work out at Anfield, and he scored just three times before being sold to West Brom. Now at Cardiff, the 34-year-old is winding down his career. Is given a D as he got to turn out for his childhood team.
Luke Shaw: C
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw in action with Leicester City’s Danny Simpson
Arguably the most promising of all the players that have left the Saints, Shaw has suffered from injury problems in each of his three seasons at Manchester United, and has only made 27 Premier League appearances – less than each of his seasons in the top flight with Southampton. Still only 21, Shaw has displayed his promise in spurts when he was fit to feature for the Red Devils, but he has been nowhere near the superb form exhibited in his final year in Hampshire.
Dejan Lovren: B-
If asked a year ago how the Croatian would be graded since moving to Liverpool, he would have likely been very much in the lower ratings. Of the players here Lovren has arguably made the biggest recovery from a difficult start, and Jurgen Klopp seems to have given him back the confidence he displayed during his one season with Southampton. A solid defender for the Reds after a poor start.
Adam Lallana: B+
Adam Lallana celebrates with Dejan Lovren for Liverpool
The former Southampton captain has improved with each season at Liverpool, and looks a genuine top class attacking midfielder this year under Klopp. A mixed start sees the England international just miss out on an A grade, but there is no doubt that he is one of the players who has impressed most since leaving the club he graduated from.
Calum Chambers: C-
Calum Chambers will have been disappointed at his failure to push on and seize a first team spot at Arsenal since an unexpected big-money departure. Often featuring at full back for Southampton, the youngster saw plenty of football in his first year at the Emirates, but had a less significant role last season. This year he is out on loan at Middlesbrough, which should see him get some regular starts for the first time since being at the Saints. Still just 21, it remains to be seen if he has a future at Arsenal after their defensive signings this summer.
2015-16 departures
Nathaniel Clyne: B
Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne in action with Tottenham’s Danny Rose
The fourth of five players to move to Liverpool from Southampton in the last few season, Clyne pushed on at Anfield last season despite a difficult defensive season for the Merseyside club. Looked to have claimed the England right back spot before Kyle Walker’s return to form, the former Crystal Palace man has been a good signing for the Reds.
Morgan Schneiderlin: C-
The same can’t be said of classy central midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. He joined Luke Shaw at Manchester United in 2015 and, even though he saw plenty of football last season, the France international absolutely failed to showcase his qualities at Old Trafford. Now struggling to see game time under the notoriously ruthless Jose Mourinho, the 26-year-old has lost his international spot and will likely move on in either of the next two transfer windows.
Toby Alderweireld: A
Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld celebrates after the game
Though he was only technically on loan, Toby Alderweirled’s decision not to complete an expected move to Southampton after impressing so much in said loan, and subsequently joining Pochettino at Tottenham, certainly felt like a blow to match the other exits. What will frustrate even more is the way in which the Belgian has emerged into arguably the Premier League’s best centre back. The defender receives the highest rating of the players listed, having helped his new team to third last season and being the only one to make a PFA Team of the Year.
2016-17 departures
Sadio Mane: A-
Liverpool paid a lot of money to make the Senegal international their fifth Southampton recruit, and though it is early days in his career, there is no doubt that Mane has made a significant impact on the way the Reds play. The 24-year-old already has three goals and three assists to his name, and has displayed the sort of sensational form he was renowned for at St Mary’s. Frighteningly for the rest of the league, he could still get better.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in action with Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama
Victor Wanyama: A-
It would be a tough decision to pick who has impressed the most for their new clubs out of Mane and Tottenham’s new anchorman Victor Wanyama. The Kenyan was excellent during his three years with Southampton, but question marks lingered about his temperament with a series of red cards to his name. In his short time at Spurs, Wanyama has displayed an increased maturity and may have even ousted Eric Dier from the defensive midfield spot. As one of the cheaper sales on this list, it has proved a great move for the North Londoners and, with Wanyama under Pochettino once more, the man who brought him into English football, also for the player.
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