Although versatile fullback Yukinari Sugawara returned to full match fitness against Stoke City and is highly likely to start against Everton, defensive midfielder Will Smallbone continues his recovery after picking up another injury in the 3-2 last-minute defeat against Leicester City. Smallbone had recently returned to the team training following his hamstring injury in the UEFA Nations League and is now exected to be unavailable for the upcoming Premier League matches.
Moreover, on-loan Chelsea star Lesley Ugochukwu hasn't been consistent in his limited playing time, and often gives away ball possession inside the Southampton half. Thus, Joe Aribo is the only reliable defensive midfielder in the Saints squad who can quickly advance the ball forward after winning the ball possession.
Southampton must pull off £10 million transfer masterstroke
Alongside Aribo, manager Russell Martin has played Mateus Fernandes, Flynn Downes and Adam Lallana in a lot of the recent league fixtures, which means that an injury to any of these midfielders can hinder Southampton's Premier League results. Thus, the Saints should bring a few midfield reinforcements in the January transfer window to provide more competition and quality in the middle of the park.
One of the best all-round midfielders Southampton should consider signing is Nottingham Forest's on-loan star Lewis O'Brien, who is currently playing for Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. O'Brien joined Nottingham Forest in 2022 after their return to the English top flight in a £10 million transfer move but couldn't adapt himself to the physicality and pace required in the Premier League.
O'Brien made a name for himself in the Championship at Huddersfield Town where he consistently averaged one key pass per match. Despite a struggling start in his debut Premier League season, O'Brien moved to Los Angeles FC in the summer transfer window, where he has become an integral part of their midfield.
His playmaking and a wide range of passing abilities led Los Angeles FC to become the league-leaders in the Western Conference in the Major League Soccer 2024. Following an impressive loan season, O'Brien has been attracting transfer interest from a lot of Championship and Premier League's bottom-table sides, and Southampton are also rumoured to be keen on adding the versatile midfielder to their ranks.
The 26-year-old is a deep-lying playmaker who can play as a double pivot alongside Joe Aribo, which will allow Mateus Fernandes to display his flair and playmaking to spark some creativity in Southampton's inconsistent front three. Moreover, O'Brien can be played as a box-to-box midfielder alongside Flynn Downes and Mateus Fernandes, forming a three-midfield formation where all of the players can help the team while defending and simultaneously creating some goalscoring opportunities as well inside the final third.
Hence, signing O'Brien from Nottingham Forest could prove to be a masterstroke signing from the Saints, and could help them take some important points against the top-ten placed Premier League teams in the second half of the season. O'Brien joined Los Angeles FC on a six-month loan move from Nottingham Forest with an option to buy as well, but could be tempted to return to the Premier League instead.
If that happens to be the case, Southampton should consider bringing him on a six-month loan move, which would give the Saints enough time to assess their midfield options before making a decision about whether to sign O'Brien on a permanent basis in the next summer transfer window. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether Russell Martin's side will have to make a few more signings in the January transfer window if they start taking some important league wins in their upcoming matches.