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Southampton's youth academy is among the best in England and they have a long and rich history of producing top footballing talents. The Saints also have a very good scouting system and they have unearthed a number of star players during the recent years.
However, they always struggle to compete with the financial powers of the big clubs and they find it difficult to keep hold of their players when top guns come calling for them. The Saints sold six players worth more than £171.5 million to Liverpool alone in the last four years.
Right on this note, Here's the Southampton XI if they had their best players.
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper - Alex McCarthy
Guildford born goalkeeper, Alex McCarthy joined Southampton from Crytal Palace in the summer transfer window of 2016.
He remained as the back-up to Fraser Forster during his first year at the club and made just two League cup appearances. However, Forster's dip in form last season gave him the opportunity to play as the first choice goalkeeper in the team and he made the most of it.
The 28-year-old made 18 Premier League appearances last season and played a vital role in Southampton's survival in the Premier League. He won the Southampton Players' Player of the Season accolade and was also rewarded with a new long-term contract at the end of the season.
The former Reading goalkeeper started this season as the Saints' first choice goalkeeper as well and played in all of the opening 12 league games. His performances also caught the attention of Gareth Southgate, who handed him with his first senior cap in England's recent friendly against the USA.
Full Backs - Luke Shaw and Cedric Soares
Luke Shaw joined the Saints academy at the age of eight and went on to make 60 league appearances for the club. He was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Season 2013-14 award and was also included in the PFA Team of the Year 2013-14 at the age of 18.
His impressive performances at such a young age forced Manchester United to pay a record transfer fee of £27 million to lure him to Old Trafford in 2014. He struggled with injuries and bad form during his initial years at the club and was linked with a move away from the club.
However, he returned to his best this season and the Red Devils recently rewarded him with a new contract for his performances.
A UEFA European Championship 2016 winner, Cedric Soares joined Southampton from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window of 2015.
He is a regular in the Saints' starting line-up since his move and has thus far, played 98 Premier League games for the club. Soares helped the Saints reach the finals of the EFL Cup during the 2016-17 season.
Centre-backs - Virgil van Dijk & Dejan Lovren
Currently, the most expensive defender in the world, Virgil van Dijk started his professional career with Groningen and rose into the limelight while playing for Celtic in the Scottish Championship.
The Dutch international was signed by Southampton for £13 million in the summer transfer window of 2015 and he enjoyed a decent spell with the Saints. He played 67 Premier League games for Southampton and won the Southampton Player of the Season 2015-2016.
He joined Liverpool for £75 million in the January transfer window of 2018 and established himself among the best centre-backs in the world with the Merseyside-based club. He transformed Liverpool's shaky defence into one of the best in the league and played a key part in the Reds' unbeaten run in the league this season.
Liverpool has a special liking for Southampton players and five players on this list are currently playing for the Reds.
Dejan Lovren joined Southampton from Lyon in 2013 and immediately created a formidable partnership alongside Jose Fonte in the middle of the Saints' defence. He played 31 league games during his debut season and helped the Saints finish eighth in the Premier League.
However, his stay in the South coast didn't last for long and Lovren joined Liverpool for a fee of £20 million in 2016. He is currently an important part of the Reds' lineup and played a vital role in Liverpool's journey to the finals of the Champions League last season.
Midfielders - Adam Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain & Mario Lemina
Adam Lallana struggled with injuries recently, nonetheless, he is a top player and is among the most technically gifted English midfielders of his generation.
The English international is a product of the Saints youth Academy and made his senior debut for the club in 2006. He helped the Hampshire based club get promoted from League One to the Premier League and also won the Southampton Players' Player of the Season 2013-2014.
The 30-year-old played 235 league games, scoring 48 goals for the Saints before leaving for Liverpool in 2014. He currently plays for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp considers him a key to the Reds' aspirations this season.
Lallana's current teammate, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Southampton's youth team in 2000 and made his first-team debut for the club as a 16-year-old during the 2010-2011 season. He played 36 league games for the Saints, scoring nine goals.
Chamberlain helped the Saints finish as the runners-up in the Football League One 2010-11 and was included in the Football League One Team of the Year for his performances.
His performances in the South Coast attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs and was signed by Arsenal in 2011. He played 132 league games for the Gunners before moving to Liverpool in 2017, where he is currently playing.
Mario Lemina is a Gabonese international and is one of the three current Southampton players to be part of this team.
The 25-year-old joined the Saints from Juventus in the summer transfer window of 2017 and is currently among the best players at the club. He has played 37 Premier League games for the club thus far, scoring one goal.
Lemina played 29 league games for Juventus prior to his move to Southampton and won two Serie A titles along with two Copa Italia trophies.
Attackers - Gareth Bale, Sadio Mane & Graziano Pellè
Current Real Madrid superstar, Gareth Bale joined Southampton at the age of 10 and graduated through the Saints' youth system to make his senior debut in 2006.
Gareth Bale played 40 league games, scoring five goals for the Saints before being snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur in 2007. He enjoyed a great spell with the Spurs and won the PFA Player of the Year 2012-13.
The 29-year-old joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2014 for a then world record fee of £85 million and is currently playing for the Spanish Giants.
One of the best wingers in the Premier League right now, Sadio Mane played for Southampton between 2014-16.
The Senegalese international joined Southampton from Red Bull Salzburg in the summer transfer window of 2014 and played 67 league games, scoring 21 goals for the club. He finished as the Saints' top goalscorer in all competitions during the 2015-2016 season and also created the record of scoring the fastest hat-trick (2 minutes 56 seconds) in the Premier League while representing the Saints.
The 26-year-old transferred to Liverpool in 2016 and has been a vital player for the Reds since then. He won the Liverpool's Player of the Season 2016-17 and was also a key player in Liverpool's run to the Champions League finals last year.
A former Italian international, Graziano Pellè joined Southampton for £10.9 million from the Dutch Eredivisie club, Feyenoord in 2014.
He played 68 Premier League games for the Saints, scoring 23 goals. Pelle was the Southampton top scorer in all competitions during the 2014-2015 season and also won the Premier League Player of the Month accolade in September 2014.
However, he received a lucrative offer from the Chinese Super League club, Shandong Luneng in 2016 and thus, left the Saints after just two seasons. The 33-year-old is now finding the back of the net regularly for the Chinese club, having scored 28 goals in 63 games for the Jinan-based club.
