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Saints Can Now Start Planning Their Transfer Strategy For The Premier League

Saints were being linked with several signings ahead of the play offs, but the reality was that although they could do some planning it all had to be done with two what if's, but now with promotion secured they know what path they can follow.

Already two ex Saints have been linked with a return to St Mary's, Danny Ings and Adam Lallana, Ings at the moment is probably not a lot more than agent talk, but from the comments made by Adam Lallana, his return has some substance.

Our online poll at time of writing has around 54% in favour of his return, plus another 10 % saying that they were open to the idea, 26% thought that he was past it now with another 10% saying that they would not accept him back as he burned his bridges in 2014.

So it seems that around 64% are not against the idea.

The problem that Saints fans will have is getting their heads around the idea that not every signing needs to be a nailed on started for 38 games a season.

In the case of Lallana it is about getting him in as a player coach, using his experience to help on what is still a vey young squad and one with little real Premier League experience, if Lallana does return on a free transfer, his contributions will be about experience and knowledge of the Premier League more than how much game time he gets.

At Brighton in the season just ended he was usually used as a sub, coming on at the end of a game to close it out or chase a late goal.

Many have cited Theo Walcott as an example as why we should not sign him, but Walcott was a player who had no ambitions for coaching after his career, Lallana does have.

So the key to our success next season will be about getting the right balance between youth and experience, one thing we have lacked this season is a leader in the playing squad, Lallana might not be a leader in the role of Jimmy Case, Alan Ball etc but he can bring something to the party.

Southampton supporters have moaned that Sport Republic have concentrated their efforts in the transfer window in buying young unproven players from Manchester City and Chelsea, they should be glad to read that they are now accepting that their strategy needs to be tweaked.

Of course Adam Lallana or Danny Ings will not be the saviours of the club alone, we need to identify those that will not be able to step up to the plate next season and may be more squad players and then make some shrewd signings, both youngsters and experienced Premier League players.

We also need to look within the club to see who can perhaps come up from both the ranks and even from those loaned out, Charley Alcaraz and Armando Bella Kotchap have the ability return to yet be great players for this club.

One thing to remember is that although we have only been back in the Premier League a matter of days, we are being linked with a lot of players, that doesn't mean that we are actually after them, it just means that the agents are getting to work.

It will be an interesting couple of months, let's not get too worked up until players actually sign !

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