Southampton: £30m livewire could replace Che Adams

Southampton could quickly recover from Adams’ impending departure…

With Che Adams seemingly on the verge of leaving Southampton, the St Mary’s outfit needs to promptly pinpoint a worthy replacement.

The Scottish international has netted in the first three games of the season but looks to destined to make a quick return straight to Premier League, with a £15m move to Everton all but confirmed.

However, there is no need for Saints fans to panic if they secure the signing of one of Aston Villa’s brightest prospects…

What’s the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to reports, the south coast side are interested in Cameron Archer, but face stiff competition from second-flight rivals Leeds United.

It is understood that Villa will demand a fee in the region of £20m to sanction the 21-year-old’s exit.

Would Cameron Archer be a good signing for Southampton?

Despite netting 17 goals in 36 appearances for the Villa U21 side, the striker has failed to forge a notable breakthrough into the first team.

As a result, Archer has enjoyed two separate Championship loans, where he has flourished into a useful and productive frontman. The first of these came in January 2022 with Preston North End, where the Englishman registered eight goal contributions in 18 starts.

During this time, manager Ryan Lowe applauded his glimmering potential and said:

“Cameron has got an abundance of talent. His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”

Archer followed up this impressive initiation into the Championship, with an even more fruitful stint at Middlesbrough. In 23 matches, he recorded 17 goal involvements.

After beating Sheffield United in February 2023, head coach Michael Carrick showered the 5 foot 11 phenom in praise and said:

“Credit to him, he’s a terrific lad who’s settled really quickly and loves it here. He’s a big part of the group and I thought his performance in terms of his movement and finishing was excellent.

“He’s smart and he’s clever. His link-up play and all-round game, for being a little bit smaller, he uses his body really well.”

Nevertheless, this consistency has failed to make a lasting impression on the Villa hierarchy or management, as he’s only mustered two starts in all competitions for the club since making his senior debut in 2019.

This could open the door to Southampton, who would hugely benefit from Archer’s influence. Over the past 365 days, outside of Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers, the attacker ranks in the best 11% for non-penalty goals per 90, assists per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

Coupled with his prolific goal-scoring, Archer is also an unselfish, agile, and technically gifted asset, and could make Southampton fans quickly forget about Adams’ impending departure.

Similarly to Archer, Adams has quickly proven he is a phenomenally efficient force in Championship football.

Renowned pundit and commentator Ally McCoist has hailed the former Birmingham City livewire’s play style, describing him as a “clever player”, who possesses a “bit of pace” and “can finish.”

These are traits that Archer also embodies, and having featured for just five minutes in Villa’s opening two games of the season, Saint Marys could be the perfect destination for all parties.