Southampton has had a turbulent era as they cope with the consequences from ‘Spygate’, which resulted in the club being ejected from the play-offs.

Tonda Eckert’s future remains in jeopardy as a result of his involvement in the crisis, therefore the St. Mary’s Stadium management has some difficult decisions.

Once the managerial job is established, the focus will swiftly shift to restructuring the squad for the 2026/27 season, in which the Saints will start with a four-point deficit.

Clearly, some departures are required, since failing to earn promotion means numerous key players will be looking to transfer.

Juan Larios and Ben Brereton Diaz are expected to depart Southampton.

In addition to dealing with the departure of several top players, the Saints have a large number of players on loan who are expected to return to the club this summer.

Gavin Bazunu, Aaron Ramsdale, Yukinari Sugawara, and Damion Downs are among those slated to return to the Saints, and negotiations with those players and their agents will be necessary to determine what happens next.

Juan Larios and Ben Brereton Diaz have also been loaned out this season, but their future appears to be more obvious, as the Southampton Daily Echo reports that both are expected to leave this summer.

Larios, who played for Cultural Leonesa and Real Zaragoza last season, had a difficult year as both of his teams were demoted from Spain’s second tier, however he did receive the game time he desired.

He is now due to return to Southampton with a year remaining on his contract, and according to the update, he is likely to seek a permanent transfer elsewhere.

Brereton Diaz has two years left on his contract with Saints, although his ‘future very likely remains away’ from the club following his year with Derby.

The Chile international scored seven league goals in 40 games, but John Eustace’s team missed out on a play-off spot on the penultimate day.

Southampton requires a massive revamp this summer.

This summer was always going to be difficult for Southampton if they failed to earn promotion because there is so much work to be done on the team.

Obviously, they will need some high-profile sells to help pay any incomings, but, as previously stated, there are plenty of players expected to return to the club who may not be on the list.

The immediate issue must be Eckert’s future, as whoever is in charge will play a significant role in determining who will be part of their plans for next season.

However, it’s difficult to imagine Larios or Brereton Diaz sticking around, so this update will come as no surprise.

With Larios, the move to Saints from Manchester City’s academy hasn’t worked out, and he hasn’t done enough on loan to suggest he deserves a shot, so an exit could benefit all sides.

As for Brereton Diaz, Southampton currently has better choices in the final third, but this could change if any key players are lost.

He has demonstrated with Derby that he can still perform at this level, so Saints will hope there is some interest in the attacker when the transfer market opens.