Southampton will be pleased that they’re entering into the luck-of-the-draw of the playoffs off the back of a victory at Elland Road, getting the better of a nervous Leeds United side 2-1 to stop their poor run of form from getting out of hand.
Before this victory in West Yorkshire, Russell Martin’s Saints had lost their last three second-tier games on the spin which included a humbling 5-0 loss to Championship title-winners Leicester City on the road.
Kyle Walker-Peters stood out in the contest against Daniel Farke’s Whites by assisting Will Smallbone’s winner, a crucial player for Martin throughout the season as a whole too who even has had admirers from the Premier League watching on.
Casting an eye over the left-back position away from Walker-Peters’ trusty right-hand flank, the Saints aren’t quite as secure with this costly dud really struggling to ever make an impact in this position since joining in 2022.
Juan Larios’ transfer to Southampton
Joining for a bumper £6m two years ago, which would have undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows with zero senior appearances under his belt anywhere, Juan Larios was expected to be a similar star like Gavin Bazunu when entering the South Coasts ranks from the Manchester City academy.
However, the big move to the Saints for the Spaniard has, arguably, been too much too soon, as he is now a forgotten background figure at St. Mary’s after suffering wretched luck with injuries.
Videoed back in training this March on social media, Larios has been out of action for the Saints since pulling up with an injury at home to Newcastle United in October of 2022 and will want to make up for lost time when fully back up to fitness.
In total, the unlucky left-back has only made five appearances across two full seasons with Southampton cursing their luck now that they dropped £6m without even flinching to get him into the building from the Etihad in the first place.
Larios’ worth has fallen off a cliff as a result of his constant presence in the St. Mary’s treatment room, with the promising youngster now worth less than Ryan Manning who has struggled at points this season as a first-teamer under Martin.
Larios’ transfer value in 2024
Formerly on the books at Barcelona as an up-and-coming starlet before moving to England, Larios will be disappointed that his valuation, according to Football Transfers, now stands at a lesser £1.1m.
Manning’s worth is superior to the injury-prone Spaniard’s now, coming in at a hefty £4.2m after joining Martin’s men on a free transfer just last year after he let his contract at Swansea City run down.
| Larios’ transfer value over the years | |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | £1.1m |
| October 2023 | £1.8m |
| December 2022 | £3.4m |
| September 2022 | £6m |
| Sourced by Football Transfers | |
Still, even with the Saints number three’s worth being high compared to Larios’ falling value, Martin will want to upgrade on Manning if his team leap back up to the top flight at the end of the playoffs owing to his shaky displays throughout the campaign.
The Irishman, away in the 5-0 defeat to the Foxes, had a shocker from a 30-minute cameo off the bench with Enzo Maresca’s men scoring four of their five goals on the night after the poor 27-year-old was introduced.
It will be intriguing to see if Martin does bolster this spot if Southampton clinch promotion at Wembley at the end of the month, knowing that he cannot rely on Larios to be adequate backup to Manning whilst the ex-Man City youngster remains troubled by injuries.
