Southampton advanced to the Championship play-off final last night.
Southampton defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate, booking their place at Wembley against Hull City.
However, they still face the prospect of being thrown out of the competition due to Spygate, with one of their analysts alleged to have secretly spied on Boro’s training sessions ahead of the first leg.
The Bournemouth manager has announced he’s leaving… 🤔
According to Martyn Ziegler, Saints are ‘likely’ to face a sporting punishment and a decision will be made before the final on 23rd of May.
With all that said, here’s why Everton could actually indirectly benefit from the south coasters being excluded from the final.
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Everton’s chances of signing two Southampton stars could be boosted
Everton are exploring a deal to sign Shea Charles, who is considered one of the best midfielders in the second tier.
Toffees scouts have been watching Charles in recent months, and a £20m price tag has been mooted.
Leo Scienza is also believed to be on David Moyes’ radar after his sensational season, registering 17 goal involvements.
Rank these striker options from best to worst… 😬
There's going to be some different opinions on this! 🫣
However, if Southampton were to gain promotion, the aforementioned transfers would be highly unlikely to materialise.
So, if the EFL were to exclude them from the play-offs, there’s no doubt it would strengthen their chances of landing the Saints duo.
Scienza has already hinted he may consider his future if they don’t go up this season, as playing in the Premier League is his main objective.
Plus, the club would have to consider sanctioning their sales anyway, as they would need to budget accordingly for another season in the Championship, with revenue significantly lower than the top flight.
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