With the 2016/17 season finally over, I have taken a look back at how all the players who joined Southampton in both the summer and winter transfer windows have adjusted to life on the south coast.
Southampton finished the 2016/17 in eighth place in the Premier League, reached the EFL cup final, were knocked out of the Europa League at the group stages and only reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.
In the build up and across the 16/17 season, Saints signed a total of eight players – some of which have featured heavily for the first team and some who frankly haven’t.
So, here are my grades for the signings from across the season ranked from A* down to D:
Nathan Redmond – A
Redmond has been the most heavily featured signing from across the 16/17 season, playing 50 times already for the club. This has included 39 starts. Since signing from Norwich for £10m and making his debut on the opening day of the season against Watford, in which he scored, Redmond has gone on to score another seven times and has become a key feature in the Saints’ outfit.
Redmond started the season playing as a striker which didn’t really bode well for the young Englishman, despite scoring on his debut. Redmond started the season well but then went on a dip in form from October to January. Redmond’s fortunes changed when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at home to Liverpool in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi final.
Since the turn of the year, Redmond has been one of Saints’ better performers, earning himself an England cap, plenty of praise from the fans and the media as well.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – C
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was signed from Bayern Munich for a total of £12.8m and made a brilliant start to his Saints career, cementing his place in the first team in the early stages of the 16/17 season.
Hojbjerg made a total 35 appearances over the course of the 16/17 season – 22 of which were starts. Hojbjerg has shown over the course of the season his professionalism on and off the pitch, which has seen the Danish international become a popular figure amongst the Saints’ fans.
Since the turn of the new year, Hojbjerg has struggled to cement himself in the heart of Saints’ midfield and as a result his form has suffered dramatically. This has massively brought his grade from the early season to give him a good solid C.
Alex McCarthy – C
Alex McCarthy was signed from Crystal Palace for around £2m, to play backup to Fraser Forster.
McCarthy only managed to play two games for Saints and both were in the EFL Cup. McCarthy was calm and composed on both his appearances for the club and kept two clean sheets.
McCarthy suffered a hamstring injury back in October and has been out of action ever since. With a tough career so far to analyse, I have given McCarthy a C as he was solid in the games he played and looks to be strong competition for Fraser Forster.
Jeremy Pied – C
Jeremy Pied arrived in the summer on a free, following Claude Puel from OGC Nice.
Pied has a had a very unfortunate season with a long term injury keeping him out of the huge majority of it – featuring only four times, including only one start.
Despite his injury, Pied has played well and proven that he will be solid cover and competition for Cedric. Without a chance to consistently prove his quality it is hard to grade Pied above a C, but it will be interesting to see how him and Cedric battle out for the right back position next season.
Sofiane Boufal – D
Southampton broke their record transfer fee paid when they signed Boufal for £16m from Lille in the summer of 2016.
The Moroccan has shown hints of quality since his arrival on the south coast but has struggled to cement himself as a regular first team starter. Boufal bagged himself the goal of the season award for his stunning strike against Sunderland in the EFL Cup.
Playing 29 times for club, 14 of which were starts, Boufal has divided opinion amongst the Saints fans as he has so far failed to live up to the price tag the club paid for him, earning him a D grade.
Martin Caceres – C
Martin Caceres signed for Southampton as a free agent to replace Jose Fonte, who was sold to West Ham for £8m in the January of the 16/17 season.
Caceres only featured one time for the Saints away at Middlesbrough. The Uruguayan, who is heavily experienced, was only limited to the one game at Southampton before being released at the start of this summer. He was solid enough in the one game he played and showed signs of his quality.
Mouez Hassen – C
Hassen arrived in January, on loan from OGC Nice until the end of the season.
Hassen failed to make a single appearance for the club as the closest he came was being sat on the bench. Hassen, however, did feature heavily for the U23 side and impressed on many occasions for them, earning him his C grade.
Manolo Gabbiadini – A*
Manolo Gabbiadini was the signing in the January transfer window that every Southampton fan alive was calling out for – a goal scoring striker.
Gabbiadini arrived from Napoli for £14m in January and has made an instant impact since his arrival. Gabbiadini has made 12 appearances since his arrival, scoring six goals – averaging a goal every two games.
Gabbiadini hasn’t scored since he was hit with injury at Tottenham away and has had two chances to add to his total, but has been limited to goal scoring chances.
Gabbiadini has, in my eyes, been the most successful signing of the season which has earned him his A* grade from me.
