Southampton’s ideal XI following the January window

Oriol Romeu

One of Southampton’s unsung heroes in the middle of the park, Oriol Romeu once again put in a man-of-the-match performance in the win over Liverpool on Wednesday night.

The Spaniard does a brilliant job in marshalling the back four and giving them protection by breaking up opposition attacks, but he also has good vision to help feed the forward players from the middle.

He has been exceptional ever since he returned to England with Southampton in 2015, and will be a key player for the Saints for the remainder of the campaign, and indeed for many years to come.