It has been a summer of change for Southampton following on from their dismal relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Saints allowed Ruben Selles to move on after his short stint in charge of the club and appointed Russell Martin as their new head coach.
Mislav Orsic, Theo Walcott, and Mohamed Elyounoussi have departed the club so far, whilst Ryan Manning and Shae Charles have joined the squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign.
Manning signed on a free transfer after leaving Swansea earlier this summer and could be an unstoppable force alongside reported transfer target Carlos Borges at St. Mary’s.
How good is Ryan Manning?
The Irish left-back was an outstanding performer for Martin with the Swans as he was able to deliver consistently sublime displays in the second tier last term.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.46 across 43 league outings on the left flank, which was the highest average rating in the entire division – ahead of the likes of Gustavo Hamer, Nathan Tella, Joao Pedro, and Viktor Gyokeres.
The 27-year-old wizard showcased his ability to devastatingly open up opposition defences on a consistent basis with his sweet left foot.
Manning created 2.5 chances per match and 14 ‘big chances’ in total for his teammates, whilst no Southampton player managed more than James Ward-Prowse’s 1.9 key passes per outing throughout the Premier League campaign.
The Saints lacked a regular source of creativity outside of the captain and the ex-Swansea man could alleviate any concerns around a lack of spark in possession.
Martin could now form an unstoppable pairing down the left for the club by swooping to sign Borges from Manchester City this summer.
What position does Carlos Borges play?
The 5 foot 7 dynamo would be able to link up with the Republic of Ireland international as he has predominantly played down the left flank for the Cityzens throughout his youth career.
His sensational form for the Premier League side’s academy suggests that the potential is there for him to form a dangerous partnership with Manning on the wing.
Borges has scored 26 goals and provided 13 assists in 38 U21 matches for City, which has come after an outstanding return of 24 goals alongside 23 assists in 34 U18 games.
The Portuguese maestro also produced a stunning four goals and six assists in six UEFA Youth League outings for their U19 side, which shows that the 19-year-old prodigy has been able to excel at every age group so far.
However, it remains to be seen how the talented youngster will handle the step to first-team football as he is yet to make his senior bow.
Borges, who was previously lauded as “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has shown enough at academy level to suggest that Southampton should take a gamble on him, particularly given that none of their current senior players managed to hit double figures for goals or assists last season.
The teenage starlet could burst onto the scene as an exciting attacking threat for the Saints, based on his incredible form for City, and that is why he could be unstoppable alongside Manning on the left as they both have the potential to be outstanding contributors at the top end of the pitch.
