God, relegation is a bitter pill to swallow. I've been following Southampton's downward spiral all season, and now the vultures are circling for their remaining talent. No surprise there.

The recently relegated Saints have already started planning for life without Aaron Ramsdale, with Sunderland's Anthony Patterson emerging as their top target. I spoke with someone close to the Southampton recruitment team last week (over a pint that cost me £7 – London prices are killing me), and they confirmed Patterson is genuinely admired within the club hierarchy.

Why Patterson? The kid's got something special

Patterson, just 24, has proven himself at Championship level – exactly where Southampton will be playing next season. My source at Sunderland (who'd murder me if I revealed their name) mentioned teh club is bracing for offers, but everything hinges on their playoff campaign.

If the Black Cats fail to secure promotion through the playoffs, expect Southampton to pounce with a concrete offer.

Ramsdale's Southampton adventure – blink and you missed it

Remember when Ramsdale joined Southampton with such fanfare? Seems like yesterday. The 26-year-old England international is now expected to jump ship after just one season at St Mary's. Can't blame him, honestly.

Tottenham had scouts watching Patterson throughout the season. They were initially looking for a backup keeper, but I'm told their interest cooled around February.

Burnley were also sniffing around at one point.

Form dips happen... Patterson's redemption arc?

Patterson's performances did take a nosedive mid-season. I watched three of his games in January, and he looked like a completely different player – hesitant, second-guessing himself, making rookie errors. Poor kid.

But the North Shields-born goalkeeper now has a golden opportunity to showcase his talents during Sunderland's playoff campaign against Coventry. Two massive games that could either skyrocket his value or make Southampton think twice.

Plan B: The Ivorian Option

Southampton aren't putting all their eggs in one basket, though. They're also keeping tabs on Yahia Fofana from Angers.

The 24-year-old Ivory Coast number one would cost around £10m – serious money for a Championship side, even one with parachute payments. Back in 2018, that kind of fee for a goalkeeper would've raised eyebrows, but it's the going rate now for international-caliber keepers.

Listen. Southampton's recruitment has been all over the place in recent years. My editor bet me $20 they'd sign at least one completely left-field player this summer that nobody saw coming.

Rak-Sakyi – The One That Got Away?

In an interesting twist, Southampton are considering reviving their interest in Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. They previously bid £5m plus add-ons before Palace opted to loan him to Sheffield United instead.

That loan didn't exactly work out as planned... but that's a story for another day.

The managerial merry-go-round continues

Meanwhile, former Southampton boss Russell Martin has become a hot property despite overseeing the club's relegation. Both Leicester and Rangers reportedly want him.

Martin was unceremoniously dumped mid-season and replaced by Ivan Juric, who himself left last month. The coaching situation at Southampton feels like a ghost at a family reunion – awkward, uncomfortable, adn nobody wants to talk about it.

I feel stupid now for predicting Southampton would stay up this season. My WhatsApp group hasn't let me forget it either. "Football expert" they now mockingly call me. Tough crowd.