Southampton have not been busy in the summer transfer window in terms of bringing players into the club as they have only made three first-team signings to date.
Who have Southampton signed this summer?
Russell Martin has been able to bring in left-back Ryan Manning on a free transfer from his former team Swansea and versatile defender Shea Charles on a permanent deal from Manchester City, whilst goalkeeper Joe Lumley has also arrived on a free.
Meanwhile, Tino Livramento, James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Salisu, Mislav Orsic, Ibrahima Diallo, Mohamed Elyounoussi, and Theo Walcott have all departed on a permanent basis.
These sales could provide the Scottish head coach with the funds to dip into the market to bolster his squad further before next month's deadline.
One player who could arrive on the south coast over the coming weeks is Newcastle United outcast Isaac Hayden. The defensive midfielder has been linked with a move to St. Mary's this summer and is reportedly free to depart Tyneside if the right offer comes in for his services.
How good is Isaac Hayden?
Martin could land Oriol Romeu 2.0 for the Saints by signing the English enforcer as he is an excellent ball-winning battler who can screen in front of the back four to make Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens' lives easier.
Hayden spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Norwich in the Championship and showcased his defensive instincts with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match, which came after he managed three tackles and interceptions per outing for the Magpies during the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The £22k-per-week ace also ranked within the top 3% or higher of his positional peers across the last second-tier term for blocks (2.21) and aerial duels won (3.31) per 90.
These statistics suggest that Hayden could be an outstanding defensive option for the Saints as no midfielder managed more than 0.4 blocks or two aerial battles won per clash for the club last season.
Romeu made 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game during his final Premier League campaign with Southampton in 2021/22. He also averaged 1.22 blocks and 2.09 headers won per 90 at the base of Ralph Hasenhuttl's midfield.
His duel success rate of 55% showed that the Spaniard was strong in his physical contests and the reported Saints target came out on top in 58% of his Championship battles for the Canaries.
The now-Barcelona enforcer excelled at putting out fires across the pitch to win possession back for his side as a holding midfielder and the Magpies outcast is a player who has similar qualities, as ex-boss Dean Smith hailed him as an "excellent" and "technical" ball-winner.
There is, however, a concern over his injury record as Hayden has missed 45 competitive games since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
However, he had only been absent for 19 matches over the previous three years and his recent issues could just be a flash in the pan.
Southampton could gamble on him being a reliable option as his statistics when he is available suggest that the 28-year-old battler could be Romeu 2.0 for the club as a screening midfielder in front of the back four.
