The 2023–24 season was the 107th season in the history of Southampton and their first season back in the EFL Championship since their 2011–12 campaign, following relegation from the Premier League in the previous season. In addition to the domestic league, the club participated in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
Russell Martin was appointed as the new manager of Southampton as they agreed with Swansea City to let him go along with his backroom staff. In his first season in charge, Southampton won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs at the first time of asking after beating Leeds United 1–0.
Players
Transfers Players transferred in Date Player Club Fee Ref. 5 July 2023 DF Derrick Abu Chelsea Free transfer 6 July 2023 GK Josh McNamara Manchester City Undisclosed 11 July 2023 DF Ryan Manning Swansea City Free transfer 12 July 2023 MF Shea Charles Manchester City Undisclosed 7 August 2023 GK Joe Lumley Middlesbrough Free transfer 8 August 2023 DF Zach Awe Arsenal Free transfer 1 September 2023 FW Ross Stewart Sunderland Undisclosed 12 January 2024 MF Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh Cork City Undisclosed
Players loaned in Date Player Club Duration Ref. 21 August 2023 MF Flynn Downes West Ham United End of season 25 August 2023 MF Ryan Fraser Newcastle United End of season 25 August 2023 DF Mason Holgate Everton 1 February 2024 1 September 2023 DF Taylor Harwood-Bellis Manchester City End of season 15 January 2024 MF Joe Rothwell AFC Bournemouth End of season 30 January 2024 MF David Brooks AFC Bournemouth End of season 1 February 2024 MF Ussumane Djaló Porto B End of season
Players transferred out Date Player Club Fee Ref. 24 June 2023 FW Dan Nlundulu Bolton Wanderers Undisclosed 29 June 2023 MF Kegs Chauke Burton Albion Undisclosed 30 June 2023 MF Mislav Oršić Trabzonspor Undisclosed 19 July 2023 MF Ibrahima Diallo Al-Duhail Undisclosed 1 August 2023 DF Mohammed Salisu Monaco Undisclosed 8 August 2023 DF Tino Livramento Newcastle United Undisclosed 14 August 2023 MF James Ward-Prowse West Ham United Undisclosed 18 August 2023 MF Roméo Lavia Chelsea Undisclosed 27 August 2023 MF Nathan Tella Bayer Leverkusen Undisclosed 29 August 2023 MF Kazeem Olaigbe Cercle Brugge Undisclosed 5 September 2023 MF Moussa Djenepo Standard Liège Undisclosed 12 January 2024 GK Jack Bycroft Swindon Town Undisclosed 26 January 2024 MF Kamari Doyle Brighton & Hove Albion Undisclosed 31 January 2024 MF Ryan Finnigan Blackpool Undisclosed
Players loaned out Date Player Club Duration Ref. 23 June 2023 GK Ollie Wright Bath City End of season 26 June 2023 DF Nico Lawrence Colchester United 25 January 2024 11 July 2023 GK Mateusz Lis Göztepe End of season 2 August 2023 DF Duje Ćaleta-Car Lyon End of season 11 August 2023 DF Lewis Payne Newport County End of season 26 August 2023 DF Thierry Small St Mirren 3 January 2024 28 August 2023 DF Romain Perraud Nice End of season 29 August 2023 DF Lyanco Al-Gharafa End of season 31 August 2023 GK Jack Bycroft Aldershot Town 30 September 2023 1 September 2023 FW Dom Ballard Reading End of season 1 September 2023 DF Armel Bella-Kotchap PSV End of season 1 September 2023 DF Matt Carson Braintree Town 30 September 2023 1 September 2023 MF Ryan Finnigan Shrewsbury Town 31 January 2024 1 September 2023 FW Luke Pearce Torquay United 30 September 2023 11 September 2023 FW Paul Onuachu Trabzonspor End of season 7 October 2023 FW Luke Pearce Weston-super-Mare 31 October 2023 4 November 2023 GK Jack Bycroft Oxford City 31 December 2023 17 November 2023 GK Josh McNamara St Albans City 31 December 2023 17 November 2023 FW Luke Pearce Dover Athletic 31 December 2023 31 January 2024 MF Carlos Alcaraz Juventus End of season 1 February 2024 DF Derrick Abu Harrogate Town End of season 29 March 2024 FW Will Merry Eastleigh End of season 29 March 2024 DF Jake Vokins Eastleigh End of season
Players released Date Player Subsequent club Join date Ref. 30 June 2023 DF Will Tizzard Queen's Park 1 July 2023 MF Jack Turner Queen's Park 1 July 2023 GK Matthew Hall Bristol Rovers 26 July 2023 MF Mohamed Elyounoussi Copenhagen 27 July 2023 FW Sam Bellis Barrow 22 August 2023 MF Caleb Watts Exeter City 15 September 2023 DF Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo Potters Bar Town 20 November 2023 MF Fedel Ross-Lang FK Tauras 19 March 2024 MF Goran Babić Jedinstvo Ub 12 June 2024 DF Léon Pambou Currently unattached GK Jak Stewart Currently unattached GK Willy Caballero None (retired) MF Theo Walcott None (retired) 30 August 2023 DF Sam Bailey Evesham United 2 August 2024 1 February 2024 DF Thierry Small Charlton Athletic 2 February 2024
Pre-season and friendlies Southampton announced their first pre-season fixture in June 2023, with the Saints travelling to Turkey to play fellow Sports Republic-owned side, Göztepe. On 26 June, a away pre-season fixture against Reading and a home pre-season fixture against Bournemouth was confirmed. A fourth friendly was announced on 3 July against AZ at St Mary's Stadium. A behind closed doors fixture was arranged on 12 July against Benfica at St George's Park National Football Centre.
Competitions Overall record
Championship
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches On 22 June, the EFL Championship fixtures were released.
Play-offs
Southampton finished 4th in the regular season and were drawn against West Bromwich Albion.
FA Cup
As a Championship side, the Saints entered the FA Cup in the third round and were drawn at home against the winners of the tie between Alfreton Town or Walsall. In the fourth round they were drawn away to Watford.
EFL Cup
Southampton were drawn away to Gillingham in the first round.
Squad statistics
NameLeaguePlayoffsFA CupEFL CupTotal1GKAlex McCarthy500030000000100090002DFKyle Walker-Peters4324030000(1)000000046(1)2403DFRyan Manning29(8)0901(2)0001010000031(10)01004MFFlynn Downes31(2)29030201000000035(2)21105DFJack Stephens17(6)07030004000000024(6)0707MFJoe Aribo16(19)450301010000(1)00020(20)4609FWAdam Armstrong44(2)215033000(3)010000047(5)246010FWChé Adams25(15)16500(1)0102(2)200100028(18)186011FWRoss Stewart0(3)0000(1)000000000000(4)00013GKJoe Lumley0000000040000000400014DFJames Bree13(6)00100001000100015(6)00116MFWill Smallbone35(8)68031002(2)010000040(10)79017MFStuart Armstrong33(9)56000000(2)100100034(11)66018FWSékou Mara4(24)31010004300100010(24)61019MFJoe Rothwell4(12)4200(1)000300000007(13)42020MF10(15)04100001000000011(15)04121DFTaylor Harwood-Bellis4023030202(1)000000045(1)25023MFSamuel Edozie16(16)6200(2)0001(1)010000017(19)63024MFShea Charles15(17)0510(1)0004000101020(18)06126MFRyan Fraser13(26)6502(1)0101(1)200000016(28)86027MFSam Amo-Ameyaw1(2)00000001(2)01010003(4)01028DFJuan Larios0000000000000000000029DFJayden Meghoma0000000030001000400030DFNico Lawrence0000000000000000000031GKGavin Bazunu410100000000000004101033MFTyler Dibling0(1)00000002(1)0100(1)0002(3)01035DFJan Bednarek39(3)211030102000000044(3)213036MFDavid Brooks11(6)2202(1)0000000000013(7)22040MFCam Bragg000000000(2)00000000(2)000Players with appearances who ended the season on loan12FWPaul Onuachu0000000000000(1)0000(1)00015DFRomain Perraud0000000000001010101022MFCarlos Alcaraz14(9)340000020100(1)10016(10)45025DFLyanco00000000000010101010Players with appearances who left during the season6DFMason Holgate4(1)0100000201000006(1)0108MFJames Ward-Prowse1000000000000000100011MFNathan Tella3120000000000000312019MFMoussa Djenepo0000000000001000100032MFKamari Doyle0000000000000(1)0000(1)000
Most appearances
NameLeaguePlayoffsFA CupEFL CupTotal1FWAdam Armstrong442300300475522MFWill Smallbone3583022004010503DFKyle Walker-Peters43030010046147DFJan Bednarek393302000443475DF40030210045146FWChé Adams25150122102818467MFStuart Armstrong3390002103411458MFRyan Fraser13262111001628449GKGavin Bazunu41000000041041DFRyan Manning298121000311041
Top goalscorers
NameLeaguePlayoffsFA CupEFL CupTotal1FWAdam Armstrong214633030024520.462FWChé Adams164001240118460.393MFRyan Fraser6390322008440.184MFWill Smallbone6431304007500.145FWSékou Mara3280134016340.18MFSamuel Edozie6320202006360.17MFStuart Armstrong5420012016450.138MFJoe Rothwell4160103004200.20MFCarlos Alcaraz3230002114260.15MFJoe Aribo4350301014400.10
References