#2 Defence
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The most recent addition to Liverpool from Southampton is Nathaniel Clyne. Clyne was a former Crystal Palace player whom the Saints signed in 2012 after they gained promotion.
The right-back gained attention due to his consistency and thrived under the managerial tenure of Pochettino and Koeman.
During his final season with the Southampton, he was one of the best fullbacks in the league. His performance was rewarded with an England call-up and later it earned him a move to Liverpool. He is now one of the first names on the team sheet for Jurgen Klopp and is a regular for his national team as well.
Young Calum Chambers is a product of the Saints academy and made his first-team debut, aged 17, in a league cup encounter. On the opening day of the 2013-14 season, he made his league debut as a starter and finished the game to help Saints win 1-0.
Chambers went on to make several appearances for Saints over the course of the 2013-14 season and was sometimes picked ahead of Clyne in the starting line-up. The promise he showed attracted interest from Arsenal and he signed for the Gunners in 2014.
The Englishman’s career hasn’t taken off since he moved to Arsenal as he has struggled to establish himself as a right-back or as a centre-back. However, considering his age and early promise, Chambers can still work his way into Arsenal’s first team.
When Liverpool signed Dejan Lovren for £20m, he became the club’s most expensive defender. There were huge expectations when Lovren arrived and the added pressure of replacing Daniel Agger didn’t help him either.
At Liverpool, Lovren looked like a shadow of his former self from the Southampton days. With the Saints, the Croatian formed an impressive partnership with Jose Fonte and was praised for his front foot defending.
The arrival of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool seems to have rejuvenated Lovren. He was initially used as a squad player, but he has taken his opportunities well and is now the first choice centre back for the team.
He was also the scorer of Liverpool’s winning goal against Borussia Dortmund in the famous 4-3 win at Anfield.
Arguably the most promising youngster to come from the Saints academy in recent years is Luke Shaw. The Englishman made his first start for Southampton in 2012 and in the same year, he became the youngest Saints player to start a Premier League game.
Aged just 16, Shaw became a regular for Southampton at the back during the club’s first season back in the Premier League. Eventually, in February 2014, Shaw made his England debut when he was just 18 years old.
His performance earned him a move to Manchester United and he quickly became the club’s first choice left-back. However, injuries have limited his progress, but with age on his side, he could go on to become a terrific full-back.
Note: This list doesn’t include Toby Alderweireld who is arguably the best defender in the Premier League this season. He was only on loan at Southampton and Saints failed to make his transfer permanent.
