After their 9-0 defeat at the hands of Leicester City in October, the value of each of Southampton's players would have dropped considerably given the increasing likelihood of relegation.
However, five-and-a-half months since being dismantled at St Mary's, the Saints now sit seven points clear of the dropzone with nine matches remaining.
Led by the goals of Danny Ings, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have produced a remarkable turnaround - form which has naturally resulted in more interest in their key men.
With their age, contract situation and the team's results taken into consideration, Sports Mole assesses Southampton's most valuable players.
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If it were not for Ings, Southampton would be staring relegation full in the face. After two serious knee injuries, the forward was viewed as somewhat of a risk when the south coast outfit opted to pay up to £20m for his services, but a return of 15 goals this season may prove to be the difference between another year in the top flight and dropping down into the Championship. With that in mind, Ings is justifiably regarded as Southampton's most valuable player at £19.8m.
Nathan Redmond is not far behind the frontman at £18m. With 17 goals from 119 Premier League appearances since moving to St Mary's in 2016, the 26-year-old has already delivered on his £10m price-tag. Southampton remain in a strong position regarding his future, too, with over three years left on the Englishman's contract.
Free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse is deservedly regarded as the club's third most valuable player. Despite being just 25 years of age, the academy graduate is already on his way to being seen as a club legend with 23 goals from 269 appearances in all competitions, many of which have come from set pieces. Although the playmaker is priced at £16.2m in this list, Southampton would naturally demand in excess of that should any clubs come calling.
The following three players - Jannik Vestergaard, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jan Bednarek - are all priced at £13.5m. In Hojbjerg's case, it is due to the midfielder having just over a year left on his contract, putting him in the sights of several bigger clubs. Although centre-backs Vestergaard and Bednarek have been inconsistent since their arrival at the Saints, their international pedigree with Denmark and Poland respectively keeps them high on the list.
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Ryan Bertrand is another player whose contract situation dictates that he is worth less money than you would think. Like Hojbjerg, the left-back's deal expires in 2021, and the Champions League winner will inevitably attract plenty of interest.
The squad members come into play further down the list. Despite failing to score in his first campaign of top-flight football, Che Adams is still priced as high as £10.8m, the same as winger Moussa Djenepo who has produced as many flashes of brilliance as moments of frustration.
Oriol Romeu and Sofiane Boufal are valued at £9m, despite the pair having contrasting careers at Southampton. While Romeu has made 181 appearances during a near five-year stint after costing just £5m, Boufal has just three Premier League goals from 31 starts and 38 substitute appearances since the club shelled out £16m for his services in 2016.
Somewhat surprisingly, Stuart Armstrong, Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy all feature in the bottom half of the list. Versatile midfielder Armstrong, priced at £7.2m, has not always showcased his true ability at St Mary's, but six goals and numerous assists from 50 league outings has not been the worst return.
While the two goalkeepers have made several individual mistakes between them, Gunn being priced at £7.2m and McCarthy at £4.5m is not necessarily a true reflection of their qualities. The latter of the two has been heavily linked with a switch to Liverpool in order to become deputy to Alisson Becker.
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Full list:
Danny Ings £19.8m
Nathan Redmond £18m
James Ward-Prowse £16.2m
Jannik Vestergaard £13.5m
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg £13.5m
Jan Bednarek £13.5m
Ryan Bertrand £11.7m
Che Adams £10.8m
Moussa Djenepo £10.8m
Oriol Romeu £9m
Sofiane Boufal £9m
Kyle Walker-Peters £9m
Stuart Armstrong £7.2m
Angus Gunn £7.2m
Jack Stephens £6.3m
Kevin Danso £6.3m
Yan Valery £6.3m
Alex McCarthy £4.5m
Michael Obafemi £4.5m
Shane Long £3.15m
Sam McQueen £900,000
Sports Mole has used figures from Transfermarkt for the purposes of this article.
Darren Plant
