FM17: Southampton Player Ratings Revealed
Here’s the Southampton team on Football Manager 2017 with all the player ratings and values revealed and broken down to help you understand your squad.
Oct 26, 2016
Looking through Southampton’s squad, you realise that not much work will have to be done to it to challenge for the top six from the off. You have a good ‘keeper, solid defenders, a young, developing midfield and numerous options up front that you can rotate once the goals start to dry up a little. It’s when you want to push on for a Champions League spot, or even a title challenge, that you’ll need to upgrade your current options.
I think Southampton’s key problem is in central defence. Virgil van Dijk is great at four-stars, but he needs an equally as solid partner to protect the goal and get those all important clean sheets. Perhaps look to upgrade Jose Fonte as your first signing as your strikers are more than capable of scoring enough goals between them. Once this problem is solved, then look up front for a consistent goal-scorer. Charlie Austin is a good player, but i think he’ll lack the consistency you’d need to achieve big things in the Premier League. In truth, signing both players in one window shouldn’t be too difficult given the financial resources available at this well run club.
Southampton’s starting transfer and wage budgets are as follows:
Transfer budget: £31,000,000
Wage budget: £1,489,352
GOALKEEPERS
| Position | Player | Current Rating | Potential Rating | Age | Nationality | Value |
| Goalkeeper | Fraser Forster | 3.5 | 3.5 | 28 | England | £13.25m |
| Goalkeeper | Alex McCarthy | 2.5 | 2.5 | 26 | England | £7m |
No need for personnel changes in goal just yet as Fraser Forster will be reaching the peak of his career at age 28. He’s got a 3.5 star current ability rating and represents solidity in the goal. Alex McCarthy, too, is decent back-up when needed.
DEFENDERS
| Position | Player | Current Rating | Potential Rating | Age | Nationality | Value |
| Defender | Cuco Martina | 2.5 | 2.5 | 26 | Curacao | £750k |
| Defender | Ryan Bertrand | 3.5 | 3.5 | 26 | England | £13m |
| Defender | Jose Fonte | 3.5 | 3.5 | 32 | Portugal | £1.8m |
| Defender | Virgil van Dijk | 4 | 4 | 24 | Netherlands | £25.5m |
| Defender | Maya Yoshida | 2.5 | 2.5 | 27 | Japan | £7.75m |
| Defender | Florin Gardos | 2.5 | 2.5 | 27 | Romania | £7.75m |
| Defender | Jack Stephens | 2 | 3 | 22 | England | £1.9m |
| Defender | Cedric | 3 | 3.5 | 24 | Portugal | £9.75m |
| Defender | Matthew Targett | 2.5 | 3.5 | 20 | England | £5.25m |
The Saints have a solid, if not spectacular, defence. Virgil van Dijk is your standout player with a four-star current ability rating and you should look to him to build your defence around. At 3.5 stars, Fonte is a good partner, but age 32, a replacement needs t be sought out. At fullback, Southampton, again, are pretty solid with both Bertrand and Soares either rated or have the potential to reach 3.5 stars. If you want to play Southampton style football, these two wingbacks will be important. In terms of sales, you could allow Gardos and Yoshida to leave to make way for a new centre-back.
MIDFIELDERS
| Position | Player | Current Rating | Potential Rating | Age | Nationality | Value |
| Midfielder | Jeremy Pied | 3 | 3 | 27 | France | £10.75m |
| Midfielder | Harrison Reed | 2.5 | 3 | 21 | England | £3.3m |
| Midfielder | Jordy Clasie | 3.5 | 3.5 | 25 | Netherlands | £13.25m |
| Midfielder | Oriol Romeu | 3 | 3.5 | 24 | Spain | £8.75m |
| Midfielder | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg | 3 | 4 | 20 | Denmark | £11m |
| Midfielder | Sofiane Boufal | 3.5 | 4 | 22 | Morocco | £15.5m |
| Midfielder | Dusan Tadic | 3.5 | 3.5 | 27 | Serbia | £22m |
| Midfielder | Steven Davis | 3.5 | 3.5 | 31 | N.Ireland | £3.9m |
| Midfielder | James Ward-Prowse | 3.5 | 3.5 | 21 | England | £12m |
Southampton’s midfield is actually all quite young with a lot of scope for future development. Both Sofiane Boufal and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg can reach four stars and they should form the core of your midfield. Around them, Tadic, Clasie, Ward-Prowse, Davis and Romeu are all either three stars or 3.5 stars and you have enough strength in depth without the need for further signings in your first season.
STRIKERS
| Position | Player | Current Rating | Potential Rating | Age | Nationality | Value |
| Striker | Shane Long | 3.5 | 3.5 | 29 | England | £9.75m |
| Striker | Jay Rodriguez | 3 | 3 | 26 | England | £17.25m |
| Striker | Nathan Redmond | 3.5 | 4 | 22 | England | £13.75m |
| Striker | Charlie Austin | 3.5 | 3.5 | 26 | England | £14m |
Nathan Redmond will be your key man up front as he has the potential to reach four stars, though he’s not a natural striker and may be best served playing a number ten role. Charlie Austin, at 3.5 stars, is a good enough option for top six, but perhaps look to invest in goal-scorer when you’re ready to make the step up and challenge for a Champions League spot. You could allow Jay Rodriguez to leave; he can command a fee nearing £20million and he won’t develop any further than three stars.
