Southampton are ready for their second consecutive Championship campaign following an incredible end to the 2025/26 season under Tonda Eckert.

Following a second relegation from the top division in three years, the German succeeded Will Still as head coach on a temporary then permanent basis last winter, before the team went on to have a spectacular run of success.

After starting the calendar year in the Championship’s bottom half, Saints only lost one competitive match from mid-January onwards, advancing to the play-off semi-finals against Middlesbrough before the well-documented Spygate controversy occurred.

After winning their semi-final 2-1 on aggregate, Hampshire was expelled from the competition and given a four-point deduction for the start of the current season, which begins on August 16th at Watford.

It remains to be seen whether Eckert will be given the opportunity to lead Southampton into his first full season in full-time management, with reports indicating that the 33-year-old is still in talks with the Football Association following the launch of their own independent investigation into Spygate.

In addition to the uncertainty in the dugout, it remains to be known what the makeup of the Saints’ team will be in just over a month, with the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Shea Charles, and Leo Scienza flourishing last season and, predictably, drawing transfer interest.

However, it appears that the club is currently looking to compensate for the likely loss of Charles.

Southampton plot Spurs, Alfie Devine loan agreement, as £6 million Preston North End deal expires.

The aforementioned Charles, who was signed from Manchester City three years ago, has sparked serious interest from Leeds United.

The Whites were rumoured to have bid £23 million for the Northern Ireland international’s services, but it was then revealed that the real price was lower than that assessment, and Southampton are attempting to recuperate a sum in excess of that fee.

However, according to a new report from Alan Nixon via Patreon, Saints are competing with Preston North End for the signing of Crystal Palace playmaker Justin Devenny, as well as League One side Leicester City, but are also considering a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Alfie Devine.

Such developments are likely to be observed by the Lilywhites, who recently missed out on signing the highly rated 21-year-old for a club-record £6 million sum after an exclusivity clause for a permanent deal with the North London club expired.

Devine finished the season as Preston’s Young Player of the Year, with eight goals and as many assists in 48 games across all competitions.

According to Football Insider, Scottish Premiership winners Celtic could accept a deal of £4 million to £6 million for the England Under-20 international, who has only made two senior appearances for Tottenham thus far.

Southampton find themselves in an intriguing position inside the Alfie Devine transfer war.

Saints have a strong track record of promoting the development of their own academy graduates, as well as players who have been signed on permanent or loan deals at such a young age, which Devine is likely to consider as his next career step.

It’s difficult to imagine him breaking into Roberto De Zerbi’s plans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium anytime soon, especially after Spurs completed an £85 million acquisition for Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United, while they continue to work on a deal to recruit Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.

However, Spurs will still have the most bargaining power in any deal, and if they still see Devine as a highly rated midfielder in the coming years, a loan move to Saints makes sense despite the current managerial uncertainty, but a £6 million fee from Celtic may also be difficult to turn down.

As a result, Southampton are in an intriguing position in this transfer war, and it will be interesting to see how things play out.