Southampton have officially been confirmed as the first team relegated from the Premier League.
Few would have believed that after giving Newcastle United a tough game at St James’ Park on the opening day of the season that Southampton would be heading straight back down to the Championship.
That game will be remembered by Newcastle fans as the one which saw Fabian Schar shown a straight red card for moving his head towards Ben Brereton Diaz. The Chilean made the most of it and went down, forcing referee Craig Pawson to give Schar his marching orders.
Despite the setback, Joelinton found the back of the net to secure a 1-0 win against the Saints – it has been downhill for them since then.
Southampton have picked up just 10 points all season and could still finish the season on the lowest points tally in a Premier League season, beating Derby County’s 11 points.
Newcastle gave Southampton no hope whatsoever this season, beating them in both their games against each other.
As Southampton now prepare for life back in the Championship, a former Newcastle player has seen that the grass is not always greener elsewhere after forcing a move to the Saints.
- READ MORE –
Ryan Fraser relegated with Southampton after Newcastle exit
When Eddie Howe arrived, many would have thought that it would be the start of something great for Ryan Fraser, who had struggled to make much of an impact under Steve Bruce.
Things did start off well for the Scotland international, but injuries meant he lost his place in the starting XI and never did enough to win it back.
Fraser’s chances of game time took a big hit following a fallout with Howe. The drama was made public when Howe confirmed Fraser had no future at Newcastle, claiming he only wanted ‘committed players’ to be at the club.
A loan move to Southampton in 2024 saw him help them back up to the Premier League before he completed a permanent transfer to the South Coast side. Newcastle released a blunt statement announcing Fraser’s exit, a sign that the relationship between the player and the club had turned sour.
Fraser is adamant he did ‘nothing wrong’ at Newcastle, but whatever happened was enough for him to be banished to the under-21s for a year before going out on loan.
Things have not gotten much better for Fraser this season. Now 31, the winger has only played eight league games for Southampton and is currently out with a calf injury.
- Who is Eddie Howe? The heroic manager who finally brought a trophy back to Newcastle United
Newcastle could sign players relegated with Southampton
While Southampton clean the wounds of another relegation, Newcastle could mop up when the transfer window opens in June.
The Magpies have been linked with two Southampton players this season, mainly Tyler Dibling, who has been a standout player during the Saints’ torrid campaign.
Dibling could cost Newcastle as much as £100m this summer, but reports suggest that the £60m could still be enough to land the 19-year-old.
Elsewhere, Newcastle want Aaron Ramsdale, who only joined Southampton from Arsenal last summer. The move has not worked out the way he wanted to, though, with the shot-stopper suffering his third career relegation.
It is believed that Ramsdale will cost Newcastle £25m this summer, a fee which the Magpies should be able to afford.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
