Southampton have rebounded admirably this season, putting them in a great position to challenge the top six as the Championship campaign comes to a close.

Tonda Eckert has led the Saints to success in recent months, but this has not been the case for the rest of the year.

Will Still was picked to take over at St Mary’s in the summer following his relegation from the Premier League, after his work in Belgium and France catapulted him into the international spotlight.

It was considered as a significant coup for Southampton, but after only 16 games, they were back at square one, with Still winning only four games in command before being replaced by Tonda Eckert, the club’s Under-21 manager.

Since taking over on the South Coast, the German has transformed Southampton from relegation prospects to promotion contenders, with a play-off position looking increasingly likely.

The choice to replace Gavin Bazunu in goal with Daniel Peretz on loan from Bayern Munich has been critical to their recovery, with the Israeli shot-stopper reportedly eager to return to the club permanently this summer.

Given this news, FLW has identified three players who could follow him to St Mary’s this summer.

Ao Tanaka

Ao Tanaka, a Japanese midfielder, was one of Leeds United’s standout performers last season, when Daniel Farke’s side won the second-tier title with 100 points.

Tanaka has struggled to find game time since his promotion, having played less than 90 minutes of league football since the turn of the year, including seven games as an unused substitute.

Tanaka was signed from German side Fortuna Dusseldorf for a mere €3.5 million (£2.95 million) in the summer of 2024, and he was voted Leeds’ Players’ Player of the Year by his teammates in his first season at the club, as well as named to the 2024/25 EFL Championship Team of the Season, after making 43 league appearances, scoring five goals and assisting twice.

However, with less than 800 league minutes this year, he has fallen out of favour at Elland Road and might be on the road as early as this summer.

The 27-year-old is expected to be a bargain buy for any second-tier club, including Southampton.

With Shea Charles and Caspar Jander expressing interest, if one or both of them depart the Saints this summer, Tanaka would be an excellent replacement, regardless of which division they play in next year.

Joel Pires

Joel Piroe, a Dutch-born, newly capped Surinamese international, has found his game time reduced in West Yorkshire as a result of Leeds’ return to the Premier League.

Piroe finished last season as the division’s top goalscorer with 19 goals, but despite leading Leeds’ promotion push, his playing time in the top flight was never certain.

As it turned out, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha joined Farke’s team in the summer, and the duo have been the German’s favored alternatives up front this season, leaving Piroe out cold.

With barely over 200 minutes of league football in 13 appearances this season, nobody expected his game time to be so limited, with his exit over the winter window being widely rumored.

Piroe remained at Elland Road after January, but with his game failing to improve, a summer departure is possible, and Southampton should be one of the clubs on the list.

With 73 goals and 18 assists in 179 Championship games for Swansea City and Leeds United, the 26-year-old has more than proven his ability to find the back of the net in this division.

Ross Stewart’s contract expires at the end of the season with no renewal in place, while Cameron Archer is plainly unpopular with Eckert, and Cyle Larin is only on loan.

A new centre-forward will most certainly be a priority this summer, and Piroe fits the bill for what Southampton needs and may be a fantastic fit on the South Coast, regardless of which tier they play in.

Rogerio Nyakossi

Southampton expressed interest in Swiss centre-back Roggerio Nyakossi in January, with the 22-year-old gaining interest across Europe for his exploits with OH Leuven in the Belgian Pro League.

Southampton’s fiercest rivals, Portsmouth, reportedly turned down a £1.5 million deal for Nyakossi in the summer, and since then, he has thrived for Leuven, with reports of interest from Chelsea and Liverpool emerging.

Of course, the Saints would face stiff competition from Premier League clubs for Nyakossi, with the only way they could get him to St Mary’s at this point being if they were promoted.

Nyakossi, who stands six feet four inches tall, has swiftly become one of the continent’s hottest prospects, and if promoted, Eckert must prioritize him.