The summer just gone was an unusual one… Liverpool only bought one player from Southampton!Indeed, the previous two off-seasons had seen the likes of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne all board the Hampshire to Merseyside express, leaving the total spend – including SadioÂMane – to £95.5m. A lot of cash, we think you’ll agree.Although Liverpool’s transfer policy over this period of time has been questioned and the players to have made the move have been, on the whole, questioned in equal measure, given recent form it’s hard to argue that all of them, Lambert aside, are key names under Jurgen Klopp – Lallana is reportedly on the verge of signing a new contract, after all!So, it would be no shock to see Liverpool return to the South Coast for more recruits over the coming summer and winter windows, with the Saints having carved out a niche as a ‘stepping stone’ club for foreign talent, as well as a breeding ground for English stars.With that in mind, here are FIVE the Kop side may look at sooner rather than later…
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
A player openly appreciated by Pep Guardiola during his time at Bayern Munich, Hojbjerg has real talent. His career at the Allianz Arena never truly took off – he was in competition with the likes of Xabi Alonso for a starting berth, after all – but good loan spells at Augsburg and Schalke attracted Southampton, and the Dane has so far featured in all four of their Premier League games.
At the age of 21 with a 6ft. 1†frame and a well-known eye for a pass, Hojbjerg seems to have all the tools at his disposal to be a very good central midfielder. It’s early days, but in a year’s time, Liverpool may be sniffing around, with his style of play well suited to Klopp’s approach.
Sofiane Boufal
Southampton fans won’t appreciate this – their record signing hasn’t even made an appearanceÂin the red and white shirt yet – but it’s unlikely Boufal will stay at St Mary’s Stadium long-term.
The Moroccan, who has been likened to Eden Hazard after really impressing at Lille, is a pacey winger with a long list of tricks in his armoury and a feisty edge – he was red-carded on more than one occasion in Ligue 1 last season.
Klopp has very few orthodox wingers at his disposal at Anfield, so should the 22-year-old adjust to the Premier League in the way many are predicting he will, he could emerge as a target.
Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk has been a big hit since his move south from Celtic last summer. The Dutchman has adapted well to life in the Premier League and has proven himself adept in both boxes with a nice mixture of defensive and offensive qualities.
Southampton fans may well have been glad that few, if any, big teams showed serious interest in Van Dijk during the last transfer window, but they might not be so lucky next year. Joel Matip appears to be the man Klopp wants to lead his defence on Merseyside, but the Saints man could come in to compete with Dejan Lovren for a berth alongside him.
Jay Rodriguez
Somewhat forgotten after a hellish couple of years of injury problems, Rodriguez is finally back in action. It should be remembered that before his initial knee problem in 2014 he was in line for a spot in England’s World Cup squad and was being talked about as being a more promising talent that Adam Lallana – who subsequently swapped St. Mary’s Stadium for Anfield.
There are doubts surrounding his fitness and whether or not he will fully recover, but should Rodriguez get back to his best he seems tailor-made for Liverpool thanks to his versatility, ability to press from the front and technique.
Josh Sims
Looking a bit further down the line, Sims is a player to watch at Southampton. The 19-year-old Somerset-born winger is seen as one of the top talents around the periphery of the Saints’ first-team set-up, and his four goals in as many games in this season’s Premier League 2 campaign illustrate his qualities.
As we said earlier, the next couple of years seems too soon for Sims to be considered by other clubs, but should he break through Liverpool may become very interested.
