Southampton narrowly avoided going down as the Premier League’s worst-ever side last season, scraping 12 points to beat the record-low by a single point.
Looking at how Southampton and Leeds United fared in their 2024/25 campaigns, it’s difficult to see how the Saints managed to beat Daniel Farke’s side in the Championship play-off final in 2024.
Southampton were utterly terrible in the Premier League last season whilst Leeds were utterly dominant in the Championship this season, trading places with the south-coast club after winning the second tier title.
And there are several Southampton players linked Leeds United this summer. In fact, Farke looks as though he could raid the other relegated Premier League teams for some new blood with Ipswich Town’s Dara O’Shea now a target for Leeds United, for example.
At St Mary’s, Cameron Archer was strongly linked with a move away in January. Leeds tried desperately to sign him on loan but failed in the end. Kyle Walker-Peters and Mateus Fernandes are also targets at Elland Road, along with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale before a Premier League match against Manchester United.
Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images
Southampton owner says Leeds United transfer target Aaron Ramsdale looks set to leave
Leeds United have been linked with Ramsdale throughout the year. It comes as Illan Meslier looks set to move on after his disastrous 2024/25 season, with Leeds linked with a number of goalkeepers but having so far struggled to come close to signing a new no.1 ahead of next season.
Ramsdale though looks set to be on the move. Speaking to Daily Echo, Southampton owner Dragan Solak has revealed that the 27-year-old Ramsdale is determined to be in the England squad for next year’s World Cup and that Southampton won’t stand in his way if he wants to leave this summer.
Solak said: “We unfortunately are not sure that Ramsdale is going to stay, even though he loves the club. He’s a great young man, everybody loves him, but he wants to get his place in the national team and it’s not easy to get there in the Championship.
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“He’s even personally looking at all the options of how he would go and come back if we are promoted because he loves the place and he loves the club. But generally we understand that he needs to stay within the Premier League level of football to achieve his goals and we will not stop that.”
Stat (league) Meslier in 24/25 Ramsdale in 24/25
Games 39 30
Clean sheets 21 3
Save % 71 65
Penalties saved 1/4 2/7
The latest on Leeds United’s search for a new goalkeeper
Ramsdale is just one of a few active goalkeeper targets for the Whites this summer. Another name doing the rounds right now is Djordje Petrovic.
Chelsea are determined to sell Petrovic this summer after his impressive loan spell with Strasbourg last season, and with the Serbian international seemingly unhappy at his lack of potential opportunities at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United are planning to keep Nick Pope who’s been linked with a move to West Yorkshire, whilst Caoimhin Kelleher has sealed a permanent move to Brentford from Liverpool.
Leeds United continue to be linked with Noel Tornqvist at Mjallby, but he seems like more of a secondary signing for Farke should he bring in the Swede this summer.