Southampton find themselves in the tough position of needing to try and create a squad ready to compete with some of the finest teams in the world in the Premier League.
With the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, there is nowhere to hide in the top tier and Southampton will do all in their power to ensure their Premier League return lasts more than a season.Relegation in 2023 saw the club slip out of England’s top tier for the first time in 11 years, having gone as low as League One in 2009.
It will be a busy summer of transfer deals, where targets will be secured and some missed, with fans excited to see what players manager Russell Martin will have at his disposal come the start of the year.
Additions are clearly needed, particular when you consider the Saints finished fourth in the Championship before their play-off success.
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Owners Sport Republic may look to the previous time Southampton were promoted from the Championship to the Premier League in 2012 for inspiration, with the team surviving upon their return before establishing themselves as a top tier regular.
Southampton additions upon Premier League promotion in 2012
Having earned back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League under then-manager Nigel Adkins, Southampton were determined to maintain their rise.This led to them signing eight players in summer 2012, breaking their transfer record twice and spending a total of about £31 million in a bid to get their squad ready for a crack at the big time after a seven-year hiatus.
There were a few of cult heroes signed that summer, with recently-retired Steven Davis in particular proving to be one of the best pieces of business in recent club history.
Here are the eight acquisitions Southampton made that summer, with appearance statistics obtained from Transfermarkt.
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