Many outfield players have been linked with Southampton in the past month, but there has been virtually no concrete rumours about a new goalkeeper, however here is the first of the summer.
With Gavin Bazunu set to miss most of the coming season, if not all of it, Alex McCarthy out of contract and Joe Lumley at 29 never having played at Premier league level, it would be fair to assume that Saints need to sign a new keeper this summer.
The big question though is whether they go for an experienced loan keeper as they did in the summer of 2015 signing Maarten Stekelenburg to deputise for the long term injured Fraser Forster, or if they opt to spend on a genuine Premier League standard keeper who could compete with Bazunu and possibly even replace him long term.
footballleagueworld.co.uk have reported that Southampton are interested in Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson, but they face competition from both Liverpool & Arsenal who have also been linked in the past.
Patterson who recently turned 24 had yet to make a first team appearance for any club back in the summer of 2021, he was loaned out to Notts County who were in the National League and made 9 appearances for them before being recalled to The Stadium of Light in the second half of the season.
His stock then rose greatly, he established himself as Sunderland's first choice as they gained promotion back to the Championship and then in season 2022/23 was an ever present in that division. Last season he would miss just one game in the league campaign, strangely the last one of the campaign.
Now he is being linked with a move away and of the 3 clubs mentioned, Saints would probably be more attractive if he wants his career to continue in terms of games being played, rather than being a bench warmer at best at either Liverpool or Arsenal.
Sunderland have just signed Simon Moore from Coventry on a free transfer, but whether Moore who was ironically on Saints books as a youth player and played at St Mary's in the FA Cup in 2021/22 season and hails from Sandown on the Isle of Wight, has joined as back up or replacement for Patterson is unclear.
Speaking to footballleagueworld.co.uk former Southampton player Carlton Palmer said:
"Sunderland have named their price for goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. They are standing firm on the amount they want for him, £15million-20million.
"It’s emerged that Southampton are the latest Premier League to be linked with him. Sunderland will hold out for the fee, they are in no rush to sell Patterson, as he’s under contract for several years, and he signed an extension to his contract in September.
"If they do sell him they’ll be looking for a big fee which will be in keeping with the fees that have come from big players in the Championship to the Premier League, like Aaron Ramsdale who went for £20million.
"He’s a very good goalkeeper, but whether they will get the £20million is another question, but they’re in no rush to sell, so they can hold firm for the money they’re asking for."
Patterson clearly has potential, but is he good enough to be Southampton's number one for their return to the Premier League ?
Former Sunderland goalkeeping coach Lee Butler has commented that Patterson had great saving, handling and shot-stopping ability, with his weaknesses being, coming for crosses, his distribution and his communication.
That does not sound like the type of keeper that Russell Martin looks for, although it should be noted that Butler left Sunderland in 2022 and that Patterson had only just broken into the first team at that stage and he has developed rapidly in the last two years.
Carlton Palmer is only speculating at how much Sunderland would want for him, the £15-20 million may well be their starting price, but they are unlikely to achieve it for a keeper, who has just 2 1/2 years experience, his current valuation is around £10 million.
Palmer is also economical with the truth is saying that £20 million is what you pay for a quality keeper from the Championship, when Ramsdale joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2020 for £20 million, yes the Cherries were a Championship club, but Ramsdale had at that point only played for them in the premier League from which they had just been relegated.
He was proven in the Premier League whereas Patterson isn't.