Southampton took a major stride towards earning a play-off place in the Championship this season on Tuesday night.
The Saints faced top six rivals Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground and won in emphatic fashion.
Goals from Kuryu Matsuki, Flynn Downes, Cyle Larin, Ross Stewart and Finn Azaz sealed a 5-1 victory that moved the team into sixth in the table.
Tonda Eckert’s side are two points clear of the Red Dragons, who occupy seventh, with a game in hand on their rivals.
Southampton are unbeaten in their last 13 league games, and won their last four in a row, which has put them in a strong position to contend for promotion to the Premier League.
The Hampshire outfit have also earned a place in the FA Cup semi-finals after their 2-1 win over top flight leaders Arsenal, meaning it could be a busy few weeks ahead at St. Mary’s.
Southampton’s Leo Scienza stance
Leo Scienza, Southampton FC
Promotion to the Premier League will be needed for Southampton to keep Leo Scienza this summer.
According to Football Insider, the Saints are resigned to losing the Brazilian if they remain in the Championship for another season.
The 27-year-old made the move to St. Mary’s last summer following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
And he has proven a top performer under Eckert, contributing a total of six goals and eight assists in the league since his arrival from Heidenheim.
It’s believed that several Premier League clubs sent scouts to watch his performance in the 2-1 win against Arsenal last Saturday.
He played 70 minutes as the Saints earned their place in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2018.
Southampton are hopeful that they can convince him to stay in the summer if they can win promotion to the top flight.
However, that is far from guaranteed at this stage even with their impressive form of late.
If things finish as they are, then Southampton will have to clear Middlesbrough and one of Millwall or Hull City to win a place in the Premier League.
However, there are still five games remaining, or six in Southampton’s case, and the team may not even finish inside the play-offs if they can’t keep up this winning run.
Next up for Eckert’s side is a home clash against eighth place Derby County on 11 April in a 3pm kick-off.
Promotion is essential to Southampton keeping their top stars
Scienza has a contract with Southampton until June 2029, giving them some leverage in any upcoming transfer negotiations.
However, if the Saints can’t gain promotion, then the playmaker could be just one of several outgoings in the summer.
The likes of Caspar Jander and Shea Charles could also depart, as these players will want to take the opportunity to compete at the highest level possible.
The next few weeks could be quite exciting for Southampton, particularly with a trip to Wembley on the horizon, and it could be the first of two if they can reach the play-off final, but that means there will also be a lot of pressure on the squad to keep up this winning run.
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