Recent Ross Stewart information might push Southampton to sell the £15 million star: Opinion
Che Adams’ future is even more scrutinized as Stewart gets closer to making his Saints debut.
To put it mildly, Southampton’s 2023–24 Championship season has already had its ups and downs, with Russell Martin not necessarily finding life at St. Mary’s Stadium to be as straightforward as he might have wanted.
The Saints were demoted from the Premier League along with them just a few months before, and they were currently sitting in 10th place, 13 points behind Leicester City, a team they had already lost to 4-1 at home.
Obviously, Martin’s situation was not helped by his team’s string of four consecutive losses in September, but before another break for international competition, Southampton had won back-to-back games before drawing with Rotherham United.
Martin has been adjusting his starting lineup in an effort to find the optimum balance for his team. This has been especially true up front, where top scorer Adam Armstrong is now playing out wide on the right flank – albeit with solid results.
After using Carlos Alcaraz as a false nine for a few of games, Martin returned to using Che Adams as the lone striker against Rotherham, although despite his Premier League pedigree, the Scotland international hasn’t been a consistent starter.
How has Che Adams been performing for Southampton in 2023-24?
Adams didn’t play in Southampton’s first two league games of the season; nevertheless, he scored in both of those games against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City, earning himself a place on the starting lineup against Plymouth Argyle.
With a late winner against the Pilgrims, the 27-year-old’s goal-scoring streak against them continued, but in his six subsequent games, he has failed to score.
While he was benched against QPR in late August due to rumors tying him to a transfer away, four of those have been starts, and he did not come off the bench against Stoke City as the Saints successfully protected a 1-0 score.
The Scottish international, who had scored goals for Sunderland the previous two seasons but had his 2022–23 season cut short by injury, cost Southampton an initial £8 million outlay.
It appeared that Adams might be going and the Black Cats striker would take his place when Stewart joined the Saints on transfer deadline day at the beginning of September, but as the clock struck 11 p.m., both players would remain on the Saints roster until at least January 2024.
When will Ross Stewart make his Southampton debut?
Stewart hasn’t made an appearance for Southampton yet because he’s still recovering from the Achilles injury he sustained when playing for Sunderland in January. His debut will eventually come though.
Stewart’s return to action was scheduled to happen after the October international break, according to information Martin provided in September. If all has gone according to plan, Stewart might play against Hull City on Saturday.
You have to wonder if this implies Southampton will try to sell Adams this coming January when the transfer window reopens because they didn’t buy Stewart to be a backup player in the long haul.
Should Southampton sell Che Adams in January?
Adams’ deal with the South Coast club expires at the conclusion of the current season, but they have offered him a fresh, three-year term that has not yet been accepted.
No matter how they perform in the standings or which division they play in for the 2024–25 season, Southampton runs a serious risk of losing their £15 million investment from 2019 for nothing. Additionally, with Martin’s playing formation, there won’t be enough room for Adams and Stewart in the same starting 11.
Many Premier League teams expressed interest in Adams throughout the summer, with Everton exerting the most pressure. When January rolls around, Adams’ contract will have less than six months left.
If Stewart has been signed to serve as the primary man through the middle, Southampton should try to get the best price for their number 10 and move on without him. Clubs are more likely to take a chance around that time in an effort to try and get a bargain for Adams as his price may be reduced due to the length of the contract.
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