Pre-season is a process that must be followed to set a team up for success in the coming season, and the preparations ahead of 2026/27 were positive for Southampton.
The Saints started with their annual trip to local club Eastleigh, winning 3-1 in a routine game played at a slow pace, before jetting off to Germany for four matches.
Games against Paderborn and a shorter tie against SC Preußen Münster took place behind closed doors, but friendlies against Eintracht Braunschweig and a full-length match at Preußen Münster were shown to Saints fans.
Tonda Eckert’s side just lost one of the games (2-1 against Bundesliga side Paderborn), and made their camp worthwhile, despite star players Finn Azaz and Caspar Jander remaining in England for treatment to respective injuries.
We’ve picked out five players who impressed during pre-season and are really pushing for a spot in the side for when Southampton visit Colchester United in the Carabao Cup first round on Saturday.
Lewis Dobbin
Southampton’s standout player across pre-season, new signing Lewis Dobbin thrived in the second striker role, despite operating behind players less accustomed to success in a Saints shirt: Ben Brereton Diaz, Damion Downs and Nick Oyekunle.
Dobbin scored three goals and created another in Southampton’s five pre-season outings, really making a case for himself as the starting No.10 in Tonda Eckert’s team to play Colchester and then Watford in the Championship.
Flynn Downes
When at his best, Flynn Downes is a Rolls-Royce of a midfielder in the Championship, and showed signs of reaching those almighty heights throughout pre-season for Southampton.
The 27-year-old was a regular feature in the Saints team at the back end of the 2025/26 campaign, despite Shea Charles and Caspar Jander both fighting for a spot.
Downes controlled games during pre-season for Tonda Eckert’s team and motored in the final match against SC Preußen Münster. He’s surely a lock for the first league game.
Romeo Akachukwu
20-year-old prospect Akachukwu was one of the academy inclusions in Southampton’s pre-season squad, and the Irishman showed promising signs of becoming yet another Staplewood success.
Despite it being his first pre-season for the club, Romeo Akachukwu looked confident on the ball, predominantly playing on the left side of the attack. Cam Bragg was the player who came through last season - look out for Akachukwu next campaign.
Kuryu Matsuki
With no real competitor for his spot in some matches as Tom Fellows sat out through injury, Southampton’s Japanese right winger proved a good performer in pre-season.
It’s easy to forget that Kuryu Matsuki is just 23-years-old, as an extremely mature footballer, and still has plenty of scope to improve.
Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh
Another youth prospect involved in Southampton’s pre-season endeavours, Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh played the full 90 minutes alongside Flynn Downes in the final game against SC Preußen Münster.
The 21-year-old didn’t have the perfect game, giving the ball away at times, but there were clear signs of an excellent midfielder there. With Shea Charles looking like he could be departing St Mary’s during the transfer window, O’Brien-Whitmarsh could join Cam Bragg as one of the club’s homegrown midfield options.
Pre-season was a clear success for Southampton, and now focus will turn to the first match of the season - against Colchester United at 5.30 pm on Saturday, August 8.
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