Southampton FC have exciting forward to call on in 2025/26 - he could save Will Still millions | OneFootball

Southampton FC have an exciting forward to call on next season which could save Will Still millions in the transfer market

Will Still has some exciting prospects to evaluate in pre-season. Among these are the two players returning from season-long loans at Göztepe, Sport Republic's Turkish Süper Lig club. One of them is a cut above the other and he could save the club millions.

The benefits of the Sport Republic(SR) multi-club model are yet to be fully realised at Southampton. Since the model was introduced, only youngster Ízzet Furkan Malak has arrived at St Mary's on loan from Göztepe, as per the Echo. The 20-year-old Turkey youth international has played just a handful of games in the Under 23s, while three Saints players have gone out on loan the other way to Göztepe.

Southampton goalkeeper Mateusz Lis has since joined the Turkish club on a permanent deal (in August 2024) after a successful season-long loan, as announced on the Saints' website. Lis inspired Göz Göz to promotion to the Süper Lig from Lig Two, making 31 appearances between the posts.

Southampton players return from Turkey

Juan may already have done enough

Players who have just returned to Southampton after their loan periods in Turkey are Juan (Juan Santos da Silva) and Kuryu Matsuki. Juan is a 23-year-old Brazilian striker; Matsuki is a 22-year-old striker from Japan.

Karyu Matsuki has struggled to get minutes beyond February, before which he looked to be coming into some form. Whilst he seems energetic and agile, Matsuki could do with another season on loan before being assessed properly.

On the other hand, Juan may well have done enough on loan to already be considered for inclusion in Will Still's pre-season plans. Although not an out-and-out striker, Juan has been linking up well with Romulo Cruz on the left-side of the Göztepe front three. The young Brazilian has plenty of vision and great technique. In front of goal, he does not panic.

Juan, who was signed after his contract expired at São Paulo, impressed while on loan at Göztepe. The Brazilian's match ratings, as per fotmob.com, average at 6.89, which is well above average. Furthermore, Juan has created 32 chances in just 26 matches.

Juan ranked higher than 96% of forwards in similar leagues

Compared with forwards in similar leagues (as per fotmob), Juan ranks higher than 96% of forwards for chances created per 90 minutes.

Compared with players in the Süper Lig alone, he ranks 91.8%.

Defensively, he is no slouch either. Ranked 79.6% for balls won in the final third, Juan is well suited to a pressing game should Still decide to play that way. Juan ranks highly among similar players for interceptions (83.7%) and tackles won (85.7%).

Knowing that Still prefers his team to play aggressively and work very hard, it's easy to see why Juan should join the first-team for pre-season.

Juan Santos da Silva is a different option from the returning Samuel Edozie, or the potentially departing Kamaldeen Sulemana, who play as outright wingers. Juan is more likely to play inside, almost in a number 10 position, than attack down the left-flank. This might make him an ideal replacement for Mateus Fernandes (pictured), who looks likely to be leaving St Mary's in the summer.

Juan gives Saints an opportunity to save some serious cash

The rebuild facing Still is big, so cash saved is a bonus

Adding Juan to the first team squad next season presents Southampton with an opportunity to save a lot of money. Should Fernandes or Sulemana leave this summer, Still could have upwards of £50 million to spend on the remainder of his squad.

The rebuild has already begun, of course. Joshua Quarshie joined in a deal worth somewhere in the region of £3 million, as per the Daily Echo. Lightning-quick, strong, and two-footed, the signing of the German Under-21 international is a clear signal to fans that investment in youngsters with the potential to develop into high-class players is the preferred model.

There's more work to do, of course, but in Juan, Southampton can potentially save millions on replacing high-profile names within their squad, with the 23-year-old looking ready for action.