Keep, Loan or Sell: Every Southampton loanee from 2025/26 season

A look at the season-long performances of Southampton loanees and an assessment of whether the club should keep them or look beyond them next season.

The EFL’s final verdict on the Spygate incident is yet to arrive, and Southampton are staring at a sky of possibilities. While expulsion from the playoff final is off the table, the Saints are eager to know their punishment ahead of the game.

Moving toward the known, Southampton’s playoff saga will be followed by the return of loan players ahead of the summer. The club’s Premier League promotion will have a say in their futures, but it’s a situation that will need attention sooner rather than later.

On that note, here’s a look at how the Southampton loanees performed in their respective spells and should the Saints keep them, sell them or push for another loan for them.

Aaron Ramsdale

Aaron Ramsdale was part of one of the highest-profile loan departures from Southampton last summer. But fast forward to now, and the success of that move depends largely on the observer’s yardstick.

Notably, Ramsdale did enjoy a run as the Magpies’ starting keeper when Nick Pope was injured. However, he failed to impress, and some poor displays, including the 8-3 aggregate defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16, saw him return to the bench soon after.

In over a month, Ramsdale hasn’t played a single minute for Newcastle and looks certain to return to St. Mary’s this summer. With Southampton pushing to make Daniel Peretz’s loan permanent, a sale of Ramsdale is likely the best move for everyone involved.

Damion Downs

Despite arriving as Southampton’s second signing ahead of the 2025/26 season, Damion Downes’ club spell was underwhelming, to say the least. Having recorded no goal contributions after the Championship opener against Wrexham, Downes was loaned to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg this winter.

However, even a return to Germany couldn’t help the forward recover his form. While he was given a considerable number of chances initially, his goal drought saw him eventually sidelined.

Downes didn’t even manage 50 minutes of combined game time in the final four matchdays and will return to Southampton after his unsuccessful loan ends. With the US forward on the Saints’ books until 2029, the club will need to find another loan opportunity for him this summer.

Yukinari Sugawara

Sugawara has been one of the rare Saints to make the most of his loan spell. While sent to the same division as Damion Downes, his time in Germany stood in complete contrast to the out‑of‑form forward.

Sugawara was a constant figure in Werder Bremen’s Bundesliga lineup during the 2025/26 campaign. Accumulating nearly 2,500 minutes across 31 appearances, the Japanese international racked up six assists while operating on the right flank.

Werder Bremen are reportedly considering rewarding Sugawara’s impressive performances with a permanent move. If they exercise their £5.1m buy option, Southampton could sell him at a small loss on their initial £6m investment in 2024.

Gavin Bazunu

Bazunu was Southampton’s second January departure in winter 2026. The plan was for him to get regular minutes at fellow Championship side Stoke City, but his spell barely went according to plan.

After a decent debut in a 0‑0 draw with QPR, Bazunu picked up a thigh injury that kept him sidelined for eleven games. He regained his starting role upon returning, but a late‑April injury cut his loan short.

Having missed more games than he played, Stoke are unlikely to keep him permanently. The feasible option for Southampton is to find a suitor for Bazunu and collect whatever they can, with only one year remaining on his contract.

Ben Brereton Diaz

Brereton Díaz has arguably been only the second Saints loanee, alongside Sugawara, to make a positive impact on his loan club. At Derby County, the forward recorded seven goals and three assists in over 3,000 minutes during the 2025/26 Championship season.

More importantly, his excellent form in January 2026 proved crucial for Derby’s playoff hopes. Though the Rams eventually missed out, Díaz’s contributions have been well appreciated by the fans.

As a result, Derby are highly likely to negotiate a permanent transfer for Díaz even though the loan didn’t initially include a buy option. Southampton could allow a sale as long as they can cut their losses on a transfer that didn’t work out for them.

Will Smallbone

The next name on the list is Saints midfielder Will Smallbone. While his move ought to have been more similar to Brereton Díaz’s as an outfield player, Smallbone’s Millwall spell turned into an injury‑plagued nightmare on the lines of Bazunu’s Stoke move.

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Smallbone could only register 10 Championship appearances. Having suffered a lengthy hamstring injury in October 2025, Smallbone straight away missed four months of action.

Even when he returned, Smallbone didn’t get any starts as Millwall pushed for a Premier League promotion. Smallbone is set to return to St. Mary’s, and with his contract expiring this summer, he could be shown the way out the exit door.

Joe Aribo

Aribo’s loan spell proved to be another disappointment for Southampton in a season where they could still return to the Premier League. Joe Aribo was a mainstay midfielder for the club until last season, but his Saints career has gone from bad to worse following his loan to Leicester.

Having been offered a winter departure to make a starting case at Leicester, Aribo couldn’t help the Foxes in their relegation season. After a single start and a few late cameos, he suffered the same fate of being excluded from matchdays as he had at Southampton.

Aribo is another player whose contract expires in June 2026. Given his abysmal form, he is unlikely to be offered a renewal and could become a free agent this summer.

Charlie Taylor

Last but not least, the final name on the list is defender Charlie Taylor. Though his loan was similar to the previous cases in that he joined a fellow Championship side, Taylor’s campaign was much better than Smallbone’s or Aribo’s.

Having joined West Brom on deadline day last summer, Taylor gradually made his case for a starting role at the Hawthorns. For most of the campaign, he was a regular presence in the Baggies’ defence, accumulating over 1,600 minutes across 26 league appearances.

However, his loan did not end brightly. Charlie Taylor was reduced to the bench in the last five games of the season, leaving it unclear whether West Brom will consider a permanent move.

With the defender’s Saints contract expiring this summer, Taylor could become a free agent and see his way out of St. Mary’s soon.