Luton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth show interest in Southampton academy star Will Smallbone as the Championship side brace for offers
Southampton are braced for offers for midfielder Will Smallbone.
Premier League clubs including Luton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have been monitoring Smallbone along with Championship trio Blackburn, Sunderland and Hull.
The level of interest has seen Ireland international Smallbone join the list of players who could move on from the St Mary’s side this summer.
Smallbone spent last season on loan at Stoke, earning his first taste of regular senior football and making over 40 appearances for the Potters.
The Ireland international has continued to impress during pre-season for Southampton, increasing the level of interest.
New Southampton manager Russell Martin is a fan of Smallbone having tried to sign him previously when he was in charge at Swansea and has described him as ‘like a new signing’ following his return to St Mary’s.
However, Smallbone’s situation is complicated by him having just a year left on his contract, a factor encouraging his suitors and which makes this window currently the last opportunity for Southampton to secure a reasonable fee for their academy product.
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With the potential sales of Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse this summer, Southampton could have to turn to players they have let develop elsewhere to bolster their Championship squad.
The Saints are likely going to rake in significant funds from Lavia and Ward-Prowse’s expected departures in the coming weeks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a lot of money will be spent to secure replacements.
Russell Martin is short in the middle of the park but he does already have some players at the club, such as new signing Shea Charles from Man City and Charly Alcaraz, a January signing from Racing Club that impressed in his first half-season at St Mary’s Stadium.
But one player who could be welcomed back into the fold is Will Smallbone, who now has regular Championship experience having been sent to Stoke City for the 2022-23 campaign.
Having played 20 times before last season for the Saints, it was decided that the midfielder needed a season away to hone his craft, and in his final few months with the Potters he started to show what he was all about.
Smallbone played 46 times for City last season, scoring three times and notching five assists, and even though he looks to be a part of Martin’s plans in the upcoming campaign, there is transfer interest in his services.
Premier League and Championship clubs interested in Smallbone
As reported by Football Transfers last month, Southampton’s south coast rivals Bournemouth were looking into the possibility of a move for Smallbone off the back of last season’s performances, and he was also being tracked by Hull City, Birmingham and Sunderland.
However, they have now been joined by two other top flight clubs who could now take advantage in the potential race.
According to the Daily Mail, Premier League newboys Luton Town are also showing an interest in the 23-year-old, as well as Nottingham Forest, although the latter have a plethora of midfielders in their squad that would almost surely mean a sale or two would need to happen to accomodate the Republic of Ireland international.
What is Will Smallbone’s contract situation at Southampton?
Smallbone has been at Southampton since he was a child and signed his first professional contract in 2017.
The most recent deal that the midfielder signed was in 2020 when he penned a new four-year contract with the club, and although he was expected to put pen to paper on an extended deal before he went to Stoke on loan last year, nothing official was ever communicated.
Russell Martin is short in the middle of the park but he does already have some players at the club, such as new signing Shea Charles from Man City and Charly Alcaraz, a January signing from Racing Club that impressed in his first half-season at St Mary’s Stadium.
But one player who could be welcomed back into the fold is Will Smallbone, who now has regular Championship experience having been sent to Stoke City for the 2022-23 campaign.
Having played 20 times before last season for the Saints, it was decided that the midfielder needed a season away to hone his craft, and in his final few months with the Potters he started to show what he was all about.
Smallbone played 46 times for City last season, scoring three times and notching five assists, and even though he looks to be a part of Martin’s plans in the upcoming campaign, there is transfer interest in his services.
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