Southampton act fast to correct one major mistake with Leo Scienza signing

Southampton are working to renew Léo Scienza’s club contract amidst a mere £25m release clause for Premier League clubs to sign the winger.

Recently, Southampton announced the signing of U17 international prodigy Issa Tounkara. The player will join the club’s youth ranks once he turns 18, making this the first summer announcement to kick off the Saints’ transfer window.

Though Southampton have started their transfer business with an arrival, the club is expected to oversee many more departures this summer. In this regard, a major update regarding the future of star winger Léo Scienza has surprised the club faithful.

With multiple Premier League clubs already interested in Scienza, it remains to be seen whether Southampton can retain their fan favourite beyond this summer. But it turns out the Saints’ hold over his future is much weaker than expected.

According to Brazilian media outlet RTI Esporte, Southampton included a release clause worth £25m in Scienza’s deal. Although the club are working towards a new contract extension for the Brazilian winger, this clause puts them at risk of losing him to emerging Premier League interest.

Saints previously set Scienza’s release clause at only £25m

Enough can’t be said about Léo Scienza’s importance in the current Southampton attack force. Yet such dependence on him was barely anticipated when he first completed his move to the club.

For the record, Scienza was brought in on an eleventh‑hour deadline day deal last summer. Initially, the Brazilian was seen as a depth option to provide competition to Finn Azaz rather than enjoying a guaranteed starter status himself.

Given the haste of the deal and the initial sentiments surrounding his signing, Southampton set Scienza’s release clause at just £25m. At the time, that figure must have seemed reasonable for a 26‑year‑old arriving from a lower‑table Bundesliga side, FC Heidenheim.

Fast forward to now, and that £25m figure looks like a massive underestimation of what Scienza offers to the Saints. Leading the Championship in big chances created, with 14 goal contributions to his name, Scienza has been one of the best players in the league this season.

With clubs like Tottenham and Aston Villa interested, spending £25m on a player of Scienza’s quality would be a no‑brainer for them. While Southampton are working on a solution to strengthen their position in the transfer case, they need to act quickly ahead of the summer window.

Southampton could retain Léo Scienza in two ways

One of Southampton’s priority tasks is to secure Scienza’s future at St. Mary’s. Although the £25m release clause may look like a mistake, the club can correct it via two routes.

Notably, a key condition of the clause is that it is only triggerable if Southampton remain in the Championship beyond this season.

The clause was likely added to give Scienza an exit if Southampton failed in their promotion bid. Conversely, the Saints can retain control over his future if they reach the Premier League this season.

The second and safer option is what Southampton have already started working on. If they manage to renew Scienza’s contract, they can increase the release clause or alter the terms to avoid a similar situation in the future.

However, this is much easier said than done. While Léo Scienza is enjoying a dream spell as a fan-favourite at Southampton, it remains to be seen whether he is willing to commit further years of his career to Southampton.

Scienza’s current contract runs until 2029, by which time he will be 30 years old already. Likely at the peak of his powers by then, he may want to give one final shot at winning major European competitions.

If the winger develops such feelings while foreseeing his future, agreeing to a contract extension could become complicated for the Saints.

Currently, Scienza and Southampton are fully focused on winning a Premier League promotion. But both are certainly in for a busy summer ahead.