If Pompey's trip to St Mary's wasn't difficult enough already, Southampton's transfer activity today has done nothing to make their task any easier. Saints have agreed no fewer than three deals already with another reported to be very close to completion.
Johannes Spors and his scouting team have been busy this summer and it has all come to a head over the last few days with no signal that the incoming transfers have finished. Saints have confirmed no fewer than three transfer agreements today with another likely to follow very shortly.
Despite the £38m + £4m add-ons sale of Mateus Fernandes to West Ham United this morning, Southampton have acted swiftly to bring in three attacking midfielders to replace the young Portuguese international.
Southampton closing in on deals for four players
As reported this morning, Saints are closing in on deals for Middlesbrough's highly-rated attacking midfielder Finn Azaz, Nurnberg midfielder Caspar Jander, and West Bromwich Albion winger Tom Fellows. In deals totalling a reported £34.5 million, these three players are more than compensation for the loss of Fernandes.
It now appears that Southampton are close to reaching an agreement with FC Heidenheim over attacker Leo Scienza, a Brazilian born 26-year-old set-piece expert.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Brazilian had expressed his desire to leave Heidenheim this summer and has already agreed personal terms with Southampton.
New players will bring unrivalled firepower
Between them, the four potential new recruits contributed 59 goal involvements for their respective clubs in the league last season. 41 of those goal contributions came from Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz in the Championship. Their 25 assists will be music to the ears of whichever striker emerges from the crop of current players at Southampton.
Whatever happens before Pompey travel to St Mary's on 14th August, Saints will be far stronger than they are right now. Four new problems could make their Southampton debuts in one of the most heated of all derbies. Pompey fans may have to watch this one from behind the sofa and through their fingers.
Tom Fellows - 18 goal involvements (4 goals ,14 assists)*
Finn Azaz - 23 goal involvements (12 goals ,11 assists)*
Caspar Jander - 12 goal involvements (3 goals , 9 assists)*
Leo Scienza - 6 goal involvements (3 goals ,3 assists)*
*stats correct as of 28th August 2025, as per fotmob.com