SOUTHAMPTON

Title Odds 500/1

In Stuart Armstrong (Celtic, £7m), Mohamed Elyounoussi (Basel, £16m), Angus Gunn (Manchester City, £10m), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach, £18m), Danny Ings (Liverpool, loan)

Out Dusan Tadic (Ajax, £10m), Guido Carrillo (Leganes, loan), Sofiane Boufal (Celta Vigo, loan), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord, loan) Net spend £41m What’s new? After flirting with relegation last season, a startling slump from a succession of top-10 finishes, Mark Hughes has now had a full pre-season to assess where Southampton are falling short, and has made some minor renovations to freshen things up. Most exciting signing The increasingly ineffective Dusan Tadic has gone to Ajax and, in his place, there are two interesting new options for Hughes’s attacking midfield. Stuart Armstrong brings a goal threat from Celtic while Moroccan-born Norway international Mohamed Elyounoussi, who can play on either flank, gave Manchester City a torrid time for Basel in the Champions League last season and could thrive in English football.

How will they play? Do not expect Hughes to turn Southampton into Stoke any time soon, but he has acted decisively to address what he perceives as a lack of aerial strength. Jannik Vestergaard, the 6ft 6in defender, should be just the ticket for setpiece situations at either end of the pitch. Who has it all to prove? It is a three-way battle to be Southampton’s No1 this season and Fraser Forster, who lost his place to Alex Mccarthy midway through last season, will not have many more chances to restore his reputation. The signing of the highly rated Angus Gunn (right) represents some healthy competition for the shirt. Who will be player of the year? As Pep Guardiola so publicly pointed out to him on the Etihad pitch last season, Nathan Redmond is approaching the sort of age where fleet-footed, direct wide players ought to be delivering on a weekly basis. If Southampton can get back on the front foot after last season’s forgettable showing, the 24-year-old could flourish. Manager’s survival rating Decent. Hughes won just three of his 10 matches in charge after taking over in March, but his first full season will be the time to judge him properly. A strong start, then, will be crucial. 6/10 If they were a World Cup side they would be … Denmark. Once quite tidy and inoffensive, and now just deeply average and inoffensive.