Leeds United & Rangers could deal Southampton a worrying transfer crisis | OneFootball

Southampton face worrying player retention crisis this summer as Leeds United and Rangers interest in key players rumoured

Southampton are facing a titanic struggle to keep two of their key players this summer and could be on the verge of a transfer crisis.

After relegation from the Premier League, the Saints are preparing for life in the Championship next season under newly appointed manager Will Still. As the transfer window opens fully, all eyes are on the south coast club to see which players are sold and which players are retained ahead of an expected promotion push.

Saints' top earners may well be the first out of the door, which could provide Still with the resources he needs to rebuild the squad in his own image. The likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Jan Bednarek and Joe Aribo are all relatively big earners. Retaining them would be unsustainable in the Championship.

However, there are two holding midfielders who Southampton simply cannot afford to lose during this window.

Southampton must hold on to Flynn Downes

Southampton should resist selling Flynn Downes unless an offer too good to refuse comes in for him. He is one of two defensive midfielders that Still must try to hold on to, if he is going to play the intensive style that he has made his own in France.

Downes is a dynamic midfielder who rarely allows the opposition to dribble past him. Combative in nature, Downes will fly into challenges with determination and aggression. He is more likely to commit fouls (2.09 per 90 mins) than win fouls (1.63 per 90 mins), a sure sign that he really does not hold anything back.

In possession, Downes passes with care and a focus on ball retention. His passing accuracy ranked in the top 12% of Premier League players last season, which is surprising for a midfielder playing in such a poor Southampton side.

On the downside, Downes collected a yellow card once every two games (on average) and missed two matches through suspension last season. He was lucky not to be sent off against Nottingham Forest for an over-zealous challenge on Morgan Gibbs-White at the City Ground in January.

Rangers rumoured to be interested in Downes

North of the border, Russell Martin has taken on the managerial role at Rangers. Inevitably, Downes has been immediately linked with a move to reunite with his former boss. Downes played under Martin at both Swansea and Southampton.

At Swansea, Downes played 29 times for the Swans and captained the side. Well-suited to Martin's passing philosophy, Downes recorded the highest percentage of completed passes in the top four divisions in 2021/22, which caught the interest of Premier League club West Ham United.

Reunited with Martin in the summer transfer window of 2023, this time at Southampton, Downes would go on to play a pivotal role in the Saints' 2023/24 promotion season.

It comes as no surprise that Rangers are being linked with the 26-year-old now that Martin is at Ibrox. However, it remains to be seen if Rangers can meet Southampton's valuation and the player's personal terms.

Shea Charles is a prize asset for Southampton

The other player that the Saints simply should not sell is highly rated Shea Charles. The Northern Irishman had an excellent 2024/25 on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

Charles made 44 appearances on loan at Hillsborough and has earned senior international caps for Northern Ireland. He would be a prize asset for the Saints next season and could develop further under Still. He has the potential to be a stand-out Premier League player in the future.

Compared with other players in his position on each statistic, Charles rates highly in duels won, interceptions, and recoveries. In defensive transitions, he has great positional sense. This enables him to make a high number of interceptions and recoveries. When called upon, he has the physicality and determination needed to win more than his fair share of duels.

In theory, these attributes would make him an ideal partner for Downes in the double pivot. Whilst Downes would use his great energy and aggression to close down the opposition, Charles would read the game and pick up loose balls.

Leeds plotting a move for Shea Charles

Like a starving vulture, Leeds United are circling the decaying squad at St Mary's, ready to pick at the bones. According to the Daily Mail, Leeds are said to admire Charles and are plotting an approach for the midfielder, said to be somewhere in the region of £15 million.

But, with three years remaining on his contract, there is no great urgency to give Charles up without a fight. A new deal on par with Downes should be offered to keep him on the south coast.

Forming a potentially formidable double-pivot, Downes and Charles are players that Southampton must resist selling during this window. Combined, their weekly wages are still £33,000 less than Joe Aribo's alone. Thinking about it like this makes their retention a no-brainer.

Rangers may not quite have the buying power of some of the top Premier League clubs, but they are still an attractive option for ambitious players. Now effectively owned by 49ers Enterprises, they will be hoping to recruit valuable talent and Southampton should be wary of that.

Leeds, on the other hand, find themselves in the position that Saints were in a year ago. They must recruit well to give themselves a chance of staying in the top division next season. Objectively, Shea Charles would be a fantastic acquisition.

Should either Downes or Charles be sold during this window, then questions should be asked of Sport Republic. If both leave St Mary's, Southampton fans should be extremely worried. Between them, Rangers and Leeds could deal Southampton a real transfer blow this summer.