Southampton Academy 2025–26 season showcasing progress along the EPPP development pathway for youth players.
Based in the South East England, Southampton FC runs a category 1 academy
- Director of Group Talent Strategy: Andy Goldie
- Under-18 Head Coach: Andrew Surman
- Under-21 Head Coach: Tonda Eckert
Southampton Retained List 2025
View the complete list of Southampton players who have been retained, released, or have returned to their parent clubs following loan spells.
Southampton Academy Scholars 2025/26
- Oscar Abbotson (Goalkeeper)
- Cale Richardson (Goalkeeper)
- Lewis Day (Defender)
- Broghan Sewell (Defender)
- Calum Anderson (Defender)
- Jake Vallance (Defender)
- Fabio Sainsbury (Midfielder)
- Wyatt Comley (Midfielder)
- Walter Nutter (Midfielder)
- Klevi Bariami (Forward)
- Joaquin Borekull Urrutia (Forward)
- Junior Kuzanga (Forward)
- Luke Hawe (Forward)
- Davon Gbajumo (Defender)
- Harry Rodda (Midfielder)
Southampton Academy Players On Loan 2025/26
Youth players on loan.
- Ollie Wright (Goalkeeper) Accrington Stanley
- Sonnie Davis (Defender) Eastleigh
- Daouda Traoré (Midfielder) Betis Deportivo Balompié
- Will Armitage (Defender) Brackley Town; Aldershot Town
- Josh Jeffries (Goalkeeper) Worthing
- Romeo Akachukwu (Midfielder) Colchester United
- Jayden Moore (Defender) Eastleigh
- Will Merry (Forward) Yeovil Town
Southampton Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26
- Jay Robinson (Midfielder) #46
- Moses Sesay (Midfielder) #47
- Cam Bragg (Midfielder) #48
- Nicholas Oyekunle (Forward) #98
- Barnaby Williams (Midfielder) #53
- Sufianu Sillah Dibaga (Forward)
Southampton Academy International Players 2025/26
- Bobby Martin (Defender) England U16
- George Robinson (Defender) Wales U17
- Calum Anderson (Defender) Northern Ireland U17
- Luke Hawe (Forward) Northern Ireland U17
- Dylan Moody (Goalkeeper) England U17; U18
- Baylee Dipepa (Forward) England U19
- Jay Robinson (Forward) England U19
- Jake Vallance (Defender) Scotland U19
- Romeo Akachukwu (Midfielder) Ireland U21
Academy Competitions
U18 Premier League
The league divides teams into North and South groups for the U18s, calling it the U18 Premier League.
Southampton Under-18 play in the South League
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
U17 and U18 Premier League Cup
In 2017, the Premier League introduced the U18 Premier League Cup and the U16 Premier League Cup, renaming the latter to the U17 Premier League Cup in 2020 for their respective age groups.
The seven group winners, along with the best runner-up determined by total points, goal difference, and then head-to-head record, will progress to the quarterfinals.
U17 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Southampton U17 are drawn in Group D against under 17 teams from Brighton, Charlton Athletic and Chelsea.
- Southampton U17 won away against Brighton U17 (0 – 4)
- Southampton U17 lost at home against Chelsea U17 (1 – 3)
- Southampton U17 won away against Charlton Athletic U17 (2 – 4)
U18 Premier League Cup Group Stage
Southampton U18 are drawn in Group C against under 18 teams from Everton, Bristol City and Wolves.
- Southampton U18 lost at home against Bristol City U18 (0 – 2)
- Southampton U18 won away against Everton U18 (0 – 1)
- Harry Gathercole
- Southampton U18 won away against Wolves U18 (0 – 6)
FA Youth Cup
Third Round Proper
Southampton U18 have been drawn away against Blackburn Rovers U18
- Southampton U18 lost away against Blackburn Rovers U18 (2 – 1)
- Harry Gathercole
Premier League 2
Starting from the 2023 season, all 26 Category 1 teams compete in a single league using the Swiss-style format.
Entry into or removal from this league depends on meeting the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) accreditation criteria.
Below are the team standings at the winter break, marking roughly the halfway point of the season.
Premier League 2 Player of the Month
September 2025
- Romeo Akachukwu (Nominee)
Premier League International Cup
The participating teams are split into four groups of eight, each comprising four UK-based Under-21 teams and four invited overseas clubs represented by their development squads.
Each UK team will host all four overseas clubs in their group. The results will determine the standings in each group, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stages.
U21 Premier League International Cup Group Stage
Southampton will face Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven and Monaco in Group A of the initial phase of the tournament.
Everton, Manchester City and Wolves are the other UK-based teams in their group.
- Southampton U21 drew at home against Real Madrid Castilla (1 – 1)
- Abdul Okunola
- Southampton U21 lost at home against Monaco U21 (0 – 2)
National League Cup
The National League Cup is a 32-team midweek competition, comprising of 16 Under-21s teams participating in Premier League 2 and 16 National League club first teams.
National League Cup Group Stage
Southampton U21s have been placed in Group C in the 2nd edition of the National League Cup competition.
They will face Aldershot Town, Sutton United, Truro City and Woking, with all matches being played away from home.
- Southampton U21 lost away against Truro City (3 – 2)
- Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain
- Will Armitage
- Southampton U21 lost away against Woking (2 – 1)
- Sufianu Dibaga
- Southampton U21 lost away against Sutton United (4 – 1)
- Sutura Kakay
Southampton Academy News
11th June 2025
Highly rated teenager Harley Emsden-James has departed Southampton to join Manchester United.
15th June 2025
Adli Mohammed, goalkeeper for Southampton Under-21s, has completed a permanent move to UAE Pro League side Al Nasr.
30th June 2025
Midfielder Aston Daley has signed his first professional contract with Saints, committing to the club until 2027.
5th July 2025
Southampton have added Calum Anderson to their Academy from Northern Irish side Linfield.
The 16-year-old has agreed to join the club’s scholarship programme for the 2025/26 season.
10th July 2025
Midfielder Sutura Kakay joins the Academy on his first professional contract after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
The 18-year-old links up with the Under-21s on a deal running until 2027.
11th July 2025
18-year-old midfielder, Thierry Rohart-Brown has signed his first professional contract with the club, committing his future until 2028.
18th July 2025
Attackers Will Merry and Princewill Ehibhatiomhan, defender Sonnie Davis, and goalkeeper Khiani Shombe have each signed one-year contract extensions, keeping them at the club until 2026.
Jayden Moore, Nick Oyekunle, and Barnaby Williams have each signed two-year contracts, committing their futures to the club until 2027.
21st July 2025
Eighteen-year-old defender Abdulhalim Okunola has signed his first professional contract with Southampton, committing to the club until 2027.
30th July 2025
18-year-old winger Sufianu Sillah Dibaga has signed his first professional contract, committing to the club until 2026.
15th August 2025
Walter Nutter has joined Southampton Academy after leaving Chelsea.
The 16-year-old midfielder becomes part of this season’s First Year Scholar intake and will work under Andrew Surman with the Under-18s squad.
16th August 2025
Rory Whittaker has joined the Southampton’s Under-21s squad.
The 18-year-old defender arrives from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, where he progressed through the Academy system, and has put pen to paper on a three-year deal
25th August 2025
19-year-old Tyler Dibling has finalized a permanent move to Everton for an undisclosed fee, marking the highest amount the club has ever received for an Academy graduate.
1st September 2025
Prolific academy forward Dom Ballard has departed Southampton to join Leyton Orient on a permanent transfer.
Centre-back Nico Lawrence has left to pursue senior football opportunities.
Cameron Frederick, who joined from Reading in January 2024, has moved permanently to Oxford United.
Winger Brook Myers, who signed his first pro contract in summer 2024, has also departed after five U21 appearances.
17th September 2025
Southampton academy midfielder Harry Gathercole has put pen to paper on his first professional contract with the club.
21st October 2025
Goalkeeper Dylan Moody has been called up to the England U17 squad for the 2025 World Cup in Qatar.
24th October 2025
Southampton Academy defender Bobby Martin has earned a call-up to the England Under-16 squad for the upcoming Football Federations Cup in Antalya, Türkiye.
25th October 2025
Callum Anderson and Luke Hawe have been selected for the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their U17 Euro Qualifiers next week, where they’ll face Armenia, Cyprus, and Finland.
6th November 2025
Midfielder Romeo Akachukwu has been named in the Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
27th November 2025
Southampton U18s will travel to face Blackburn Rovers U18 in the FA Youth Cup third round on Friday, December 12 at Ewood Park, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00 pm.
14th December 2025
Southampton U18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round with a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn U18s
7th December 2025
Under-21s defender Zach Awe has completed a permanent move to Salford City for an undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old centre-back joined Saints in August 2023 after coming through Arsenal’s academy.
23rd February 2026
Sufianu Sillah Dibaga has signed a new contract with Southampton, extending his stay until 2028.
The 19-year-old winger sealed the deal after a landmark month, which saw him make his senior debut in the Emirates FA Cup win over Leicester City at St Mary’s.
26th March 2026
19 year old Barnaby Williams has signed a new long-term deal at Saints until 2029.
16th April 2026
Under-21s defender Max Fry has agreed to a new contract.
The 19-year-old centre-back has extended his existing deal by one year, building on the professional terms he originally signed in 2024.