The position envisaged by the Guardian writers: 20 (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin's prediction but the average of our writers' advice)
Last season: 4th, Championship
Perspectives
Alphabetical order means Southampton start the season in 17th place and it would be an achievement if they finish the campaign in the same position in May. It is a young squad at Russell Martin's disposal but he has made a clear plan to bring in senior players over the summer who know what is going on. Premier League It's about.
Adam Lallana has returned a decade after leaving Liverpool to bring his experience, although everyone knows he won't be on the pitch forever. Lallana was a player-manager at Brighton under Roberto De Zerbi, whom Martin greatly admires, so he will understand what the Scot is asking and bring new ideas that could outdo the opposition.
The club have been active in the transfer market, strengthening in virtually every area to give themselves the best chance of facing promotion. Ben Brereton Diaz is back in England after his time at Villarreal, but he was able to prove his worth in the Premier League during his loan spell at Sheffield United, where he scored six goals in 14 games despite their dismal relegation.
Young defenders Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood have been signed for their potential and will be given their first taste of Premier League football. Martin coached Wood at Swansea and was keen to work with the centre-back again, but knows how difficult the learning process will be for the England Under-21 international.
The loss of Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong leaves the team needing to find goals. Brereton Diaz could be key alongside last season's top scorer Adam Armstrong. Saints love to play attacking football and it worked perfectly for them in the second tier but they may need to be more restrained in the Premier League. Martin has failed to make it to this level and pragmatism could be key in the fight for survival but he is unlikely to stray too far from his ideals.