SAINTS could see a number of their long-serving players exit the club during the upcoming transfer windows.
The Daily Echo understands the club are targeting players in nearly every position, as they look to overhaul their squad.
Ralph Hasenhuttl and his charges again failed to put together a complete consistent season, and finished 15th in back-to-back years as a result.
Player turnover could be higher than usual, while out-of-contract Fraser Forster is expected to wrap up a Tottenham Hotspur deal any moment.
The players that left Saints last season have had mixed success, going to Premier League sides and beyond.
Here is how they got on…
Danny Ings
The highest-profile move of last summer was 29-year-old top goalscorer Danny Ings’ £30million exit to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
The circumstances surrounding the move internally are not fully understood, but Ings – whose contract was running to its final year – was looking for one more big move.
Ings, missing his St Mary’s homecoming through injury in November, went on to play 30 Premier League matches under managers Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard.
He scored seven goals and registered six assists, playing nearly 2000 minutes. The Villans finished 14th, one place ahead of Saints, but with five additional points.
The Winchester-born ace did also score against his former club, during the 4-0 defeat at Villa Park that started a dismal run to end the season.
Jannik Vestergaard
While Ings’ first season has been decent but not a roaring success, Danish international Jannik Vestergaard can be much less pleased.
The 29-year-old defender completed a transfer worth around £15million to Leicester City last summer, with his contract also expiring.
But the move has not worked for Vestergaard, who played just 16 per cent of the league minutes and 20 appearances across all competitions.
Brendan Rodgers and the Foxes are already reportedly open to offers to let Vestergaard leave, less than 12 months after his arrival at King Power Stadium.
However, Leicester did reach the Europa Conference League semi-final and finished eighth in the Premier League.
Ryan Bertrand
Ryan Bertrand made an earlier move to the Foxes, switching St Mary’s for King Power on a free transfer at the start of last summer.
Things have gone similarly for the former Chelsea man, who made just 11 appearances across all competitions in the entire season.
He has not played in the Premier League since October or featured at all in 2022 for Rodgers’ side. The 32-year-old will look to kickstart his career again next season.
Angus Gunn
Angus Gunn’s 2018 move to Saints was doomed to fail after the 9-0 defeat at the hands of Leicester City, and he left for around half of the fee they paid three years later.
Heading back to former youth and loan side Norwich, Gunn was signed as back-up to Tim Krul and played that role throughout.
The 26-year-old made nine Premier League appearances, including a 2-0 defeat to Saints, and conceded 22 goals on the way to relegation.
Gunn could get a better opportunity at gametime next season in the Championship, depending on the next steps of former Newcastle stopper Krul.
Michael Obafemi
Michael Obafemi has ended his first season away from Saints on a high, following his summer move to Championship Swansea City.
The 21-year-old, who was left out of the squad on occasion at the start of his spell due to professionalism concerns, has earned a recall to the Republic of Ireland squad.
Obafemi netted 12 goals in 32 league appearances for his new side, as they finished 15th in the Championship table.
The speedy forward, who played 39 times for Saints’ first-team before his exit, next month looks set to win his first cap for Ireland boss Stephen Kenny since 2018.
Mario Lemina
Mario Lemina completed a reported £5million transfer to French Ligue One side Nice last summer, after two seasons on loan at Galatasaray and Fulham.
Although a talented midfielder, Lemina’s shortcomings have always been seen as mentality-based rather than down to technical ability.
He played 58 per cent of Nice’s Ligue One minutes this campaign as they recorded an impressive fifth-place finish, scoring twice.
However, Lemina was seen partying on video with Gabon teammate Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations match in January. The pair were subsequently ruled out through a positive COVID test.
Wesley Hoedt
Centre-back Wesley Hoedt has enjoyed success with Belgian side Anderlecht this season, following a free transfer from Saints.
The defender, who made just 44 appearances for Saints despite arriving at St Mary’s in 2017 and not leaving until last summer, is tipped as one of the Belgian league’s best defenders.
Managed by Vincent Kompany, Anderlecht finished third in the division and reached the national cup final before defeat on penalties.
Hoedt, 28, made 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals.
Jake Hesketh
Midfielder Jake Hesketh dropped all the way down to the National League following the conclusion of his contract at Saints.
The 26-year-old joined local side Eastleigh FC, and struggled to find his feet initially in the physical division.
The Spitfires struggled throughout the campaign and had a change of manager with Lee Bradbury replacing former boss Ben Strevens.
Hesketh began to play a more important role towards the end of the season and looking forward to next, scoring twice in 31 appearances across the campaign.
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