Those hoping for a boost to the front line before the season started got their wish with Saints announcing that Cameron Archer has arrived from Aston Villa for a fee believed to be in the region of £15 million.
Perhaps Cameron Archer is not a familiar name to Saints supporters, but the 22 year old has a reasonable pedigree, although he has yet to truly make his mark in the Premier League, playing just 39 games for Villa and also Sheffield United with whom he spent last season, with 4 goals and 1 assist.
That was a bit bizarre Vill sold him for £18 million in the summer of 2023 but insisted on a buy back clause, that was invoked and Villa bought him back for £15 million, only to sell him again just a month or so later to Southampton for virtually the same price.
Aston Villa fans were baffled and many of them expressed disappointment that he wasn’t given a chance for the coming season.
Archer also has experience in the ~Championship with loan spells at Preston and Middlesbrough, in 40 games in total he scored 18 goals and 7 assists, so he knows where the net is.
Primarily a central striker he can also play on the right wing or a deeper role.
This is a signing that won’t set the pulses racing for Saints supporters, but he is a striker who in many respects has better stats than the man he replaces Che Adam’s, so I would say that with Ben Brereton Diaz also recently arrived and Sekou Mara about to depart that we are a little stronger up front than we were last season.
Archer has travelled with the Southampton squad to Newcastle and is likely to play some part in the game.
Cameron Archer said: "I'm really excited to be here. I had a good chat with the gaffer. Obviously, he told me everything I needed to hear.
"That was one of the main reasons why I'm here, his playing style, his coaching and trying to improve me as a player. It's not a bad place to do that in the Premier League with Southampton.
"I just want to keep scoring goals and improve myself as a player, and I don't think there's a better place to do that than with Southampton.”
Russell Martin said: "Cameron is a really exciting young talent with huge potential to improve, and we’re really delighted to add him to the group in time for our first game back in the Premier League. He’s had a really good pre-season – he’s sharp and ready to go.
"He’s a constant threat with his pace and ability to score goals, and will have learned a lot from playing regularly in the Premier League last season. Now it’s up to us to help him develop and showcase how good he can be at this level.”