As the transfer window opens for the summer, we take a look at the plethora of central defenders that are at this moment in the squad at St Mary's, that will surely not be the case by the time the window closes, but who should be kept and who should we sell.
It would not not be unfair to say that Saints are overloaded in the central defensive area and if there is one area that needs to be trimmed it should be this, with the addition of Joashua Quarshie, the number of central defenders on the books in the first team squad is in double figures and that if far too high, so lets run the rule over who should be staying and going.
Starting with Quarshie as he is the first man in, of course it would be surprising if he is sold, but it would not be a shock to see him go out on loan, he will be turning 21 next month, so he is at an age where he should be pushing for a first team place.
He has some experience, but little at top flight level, just one game for Hoffenheim, although he has also played in the second tier of German football, but even that totals only 28 games.
He is highly rated, but is he ready just yet, of course Saints will keep him, but I think he will go out on loan till January, perhaps to Goztepe and there is nothing wrong with that, that is why they are there, this would be Goztepe doing us a favour not the other way round. So unless he truly impresses in pre season, I think he will be loaned out till January and then the situation will be reviewed. STAY (But Loan)
Another youngster is Zach Awe, there was great hopes for Zach when he joined the club from Arsenal two years ago, but he is no nearer the first team than he was back then, a decent loan spell saw him star at Accrington Stanley in League two, even playing a Anfield in the FA Cup, but he suffered an injury soon after and he returned to St Mary's in January, I think at a push it is another loan, but realistically, selling the 21 year old for a few hundred thousand is probably the best for player and club. GO
Joachim Kayi - Sanda arrived from Valenciennes, the third club owned by Sport Republic, and judging by his short cameo appearances against Everton & Arsenal he looks like he is just what we need for next season, a big strong and fast defender, something that we have lacked for a while. STAY
Jack Stephens was thought to be out of contract at the end of this season, but suddenly he is talking to the press about next season at St Mary's, there has been no announcement from the club regarding signing a new deal or letting him go, only his name on the retention list.
This tends to suggest that there was a contract extension clause in his deal that ends this summer and that it has been activated, whether that has been by the player or the club is unclear.
Turning 32 in January, he has experience, but he is not a leader of men, that is not being derogatory to him, the majority of most football teams are not leaders of men, that is what we have lacked for a few seasons now and Jack isn't the answer.
With so many who will be surely ahead of him in the pecking order, perhaps we will try to get a fee of somewhere near his current worth which is £1-1.5 million, but if this is a contract extension, he will be on decent money that he might not get elsewhere, so I think we may see him loaned out this season. GO
Charlie Taylor is a hybrid, he is comfortable as a central defender of a full back, I said he should stay as a full back, so the verdict is no different as a central defender, he will bring us experience and some of the leadership we lack. STAY
Armel Bella Kotchap is an enigma, in his first season he looked a real find, forcing his way into the German World Cup squad, but injury has blighted his time at ST Mary's and a loan move to Holland two years ago, saw yet more injury issues.
Last season he stayed at St Mary's but was barely used, despite the issues in the centre of defence, perhaps Will Still will keep him and steer him back to the form he showed 3 years ago, but with just a year left on his contract, I would suspect that Saints might try to cash in while they can, his market value is still £8-10 million, however his wages might be a problem and he might prefer to stay on his current deal. So although it would be good to see him play next season and potentially he is the best central defender we currently have on the books, the verdict has to be GO (But i wouldnt be too disappointed if he stayed)
Jan Bednarek is in the last year of his deal, he has been a good servant of the club in the 8 years he has been there, his issues in the last two years have been that as a central defensive partnership, he and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have not been a good match, they are too similar, they do not give contrast, they do not compliment each other, you can say the same for THB, they both needed a different defensive partner who was different in style and had pace.
From this perspective one of them has to go this summer and the other could truly flourish with a good pacy defender who can play the ball alongside them.
So with a year left on his contract, like Bella-Kotchap the verdict is the same, still worth £8-10 million but wages may be an issue, GO (But if THB goes then I would not be too disappointed with him staying)
Taylor Harwood-Bellis would be kept in an ideal world, indeed it is far from certain whether he will stay or go, in truth he didn't distinguish himself in the Premier League, although as I have just mentioned, that was mainly due to not having a partner who compliments him.
I think that if Saints get their money back on THB, ie £20 million plus, they would be happy to see him go given the numbers on the books, but finding someone willing to pay both the transfer fee and his wages might be a different matter. so like Bednarek, one of them has to go, I would think that the club might well prefer to get £20 million now and big wages off the books, so GO.
Nathan Wood has only just turned 23, and arrived at Saints with a couple of years good experience in the Championship, but strangely his mentor Russell Martin didn't play him much, nor did Ivan Juric or Simon Rusk, but when he played in the main he put in a few good solid performances, he could well come of age in the Championship next season, he has a good reputation at that level. STAY
Ronnie Edwards arrived with a lot of experience with 121 League games in the Championship & League 1 for Peterborough, but he got caught up in a log jam with too many ahead of him in the pecking order & just 1 start in the EFL cup at Cardiff and 12 minutes against Chelsea in a 5-1 home defeat in December were his only 1st team action, so Saints took him out of the firing line and he spent the second half of the season on loan at Queens Park Rangers, where he flourished.
Now he returns and could well be a key player next season, the key will be who he plays alongside, most definitely a STAY
So that is 10 central defenders on the books, in essence 9 of them could stay and do a job, but we don't need 9 we need to pair 4-5 of that 9 and get rid of the other 4-4.
So if the central defensive department next season was Nathan Wood, Ronnie Edwards, Joachim Kayi - Sanda, Charlie Taylor and then one from Jan Bednarek, Taylor Harwood-Bellis & Armel Bella Kotchap I would think we would have a department with a good balance and proven experience in the Championship.
If all 3 of Bednarek, THB & ABK do depart, then we need to look at bringing in an experienced leader in this position, perhaps one that is in his 30's and has been there seen it and done in in the Premier League and is out of contract.