Southampton already have their January transfer blueprint after first 15 league matches

Technical director Johannes Spors and head coach Tonda Eckert will have plenty to chew over during the international break, as plans for the upcoming winter transfer window step up.

After the two-week break, the Saints will play their busiest period of the 2026/27 campaign leading up to Christmas, before they are presented with a month-long period where they can tweak their squad.

The first 15 games of the league season have put them in good stead, but circumstances will have them already knowing a rough January transfer blueprint.

Getting January right, like they did last campaign, will put the Saints in with an excellent chance of their goal of automatic promotion.

Tonda Eckert must have breathed a disgruntled sigh on Saturday when looking over at his bench of potential attacking reinforcements who could come on and salvage something at bottom-of-the-league Preston North End.

Sam Edozie, a player who put out a public statement asking to leave on deadline day; Tom Fellows, who has just one goal for the club in over a year; Divin Mubama, a striker on loan from Manchester City who appears unfancied by the German head coach.

Despite their 14 individual goalscorers in the Championship and their fourth-highest goals scored tally, the Saints appear to lack depth in attack.

In January, the obvious port of call is to return Divin Mubama to parent club Manchester City and bring in a physical, January 2025 Cyle Larin-esque signing who will provide a good rotating option for top scorer Brampton Bagsman.

As well as this, having Tom Fellows and Sam Edozie as backups, both as ineffective goal threats as each other, feels poor for a club with Saints’ aspirations.

A recall for Jay Robinson, on loan in Serie A with Monza and flying high under Ivan Juric, could be on the cards, after Tonda Eckert confirmed this possibility.

Otherwise, Southampton could choose against hampering the 19-year-old’s development, and instead sign a new winger. It feels like something has to be done in that department.

Keven Schlotterbeck’s dislocated shoulder leaves Southampton with just Jack Stephens, Nathan Wood and young loanee Zach Abbott as options at centre-back, heading into a busy period of the campaign.

While the Saints cannot bring in another central defensive signing before Christmas, they can begin to look at potentially boosting the side at the back after.

The loss of Schlotterbeck is profound; the German has proven a top Championship player and crucial to Southampton’s decent defensive record.

Perhaps ending Abbott’s loan in January and bringing in a player to partner Schlotterbeck would be smart, as the Saints cannot afford any slip-ups between now and the end of the season after their four-point deduction has already hampered them.

Henrik Falchener, a player the club courted in the summer, will be at the end of his season in Norway with side Viking, and could be more open to a move to England.

The start to Southampton’s season has been good, but it can get better. A weak squad in depth could do with some strengthening, and recent non-impacts off the bench have laid that bare for all to see.

Johannes Spors has a lot to think about as he looks to aid head coach Tonda Eckert in any way possible with yet another window upcoming in six weeks.