Southampton defeated Leeds United 1-0 at Wembley Stadium this afternoon to earn promotion back to the Premier League which has also triggered a transfer clause ahead of this summer.
Russell Martin faced off against his former manager at Norwich City, Daniel Farke, earlier today in the hopes of taking the Saints back to the Premier League. The play-off final is reportedly worth anywhere between £135 million to £265 million, meaning a victory was vital for both clubs.
It was Southampton who took the lead in the first half after the club’s top goalscorer Adam Armstrong found the bottom corner with a beautifully-placed strike, putting the ball beyond Leeds’ shot-stopper Ilian Meslier. Despite pressure from the Whites late in the second half, Martin’s men held on for the win and clinched promotion in the meantime, joining Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the top division of English football.
The victory was vital for the Saints for a number of reasons, most notably so that they can keep hold of players who are on quite hefty wage packages, particularly Kyle Walker-Peters. Martin recently admitted that the fullback will likely leave this summer should the club fail to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking but his future now looks assured at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
Another player who is set to remain on the south coast ahead of the 2024/25 campaign is centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis who started in a back three for Southampton at Wembley, keeping a clean sheet in the process.
Southampton Likely To Miss Out On Promotion Winner This Summer
As was revealed by James Ducker of The Telegraph, the side’s win over Leeds United has triggered a £20 million obligation-to-buy this summer which was a clause inserted into his loan agreement with Manchester City at the beginning of the season.
Writer’s View
Harwood-Bellis has now achieved back-to-back Premier League promotions, having played a huge part in helping Burnley to the top-flight last season under Vincent Kompany. He has managed to repeat this feat at Southampton.
While £20 million does seem like quite an excessive fee, the 22-year-old was a massive component in Martin’s system this season. The central defender made 46 appearances in all competitions for the Saints, bagging twice and recording four assists. The manager will certainly be happy to see Harwood-Bellis back for pre-season in a few weeks’ time.
