Dusic

We sold Targett for at least £14m (some reports said £17m and I can barely recall a good game he had for us. IMO KWP with a few years left on his contract has to be worth at least £15m. Therefore something like KWP and £5m for Hojbjerg represents a good deal considering the latter has only a year left on his contract. If we really wanted £35m then we should have sold him last summer or extended his contract sooner. Usually our incomings are risky as you never know how they will settle from foreign leagues or take the step up from the Championship. In that regard KWP is brilliant as he is already prooving he will be a good signing. If we don't buy him you can be sure someone else in the PL will do.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-burnley-set-sights-on-signing-southampton-25-yr-old/ Burnley also linked last summer.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-southampton-finalise-8-figure-signing-after-agreeing-35k-a-week-deal/

Got to be in the running for Best Assistant Manager since the restart?

If Forster is back here then loaning Gunn out for a season of PL football would be good, but only if he was playing every week.

Deserved win, should have been more clinical but given lads like Ings and Redmond have played almost every minute since lockdown we can let them off. Great for Adams, he has definitely improved. Vestergaard a mix of good and bad, maybe played his last game for us? Some key saves from McCarthy despite his kicking putting us under pressure at times. KWP - must sign.

He is a powerful box to box midfielder who is rarely injured, can run all day and when you make Europa League he will do 90mins Thursday and 90mins Sunday without a problem. He is ideally suited to a pressing style where what he does off the ball is more important than what he does on it. Our Manager loves him and rates him very highly because he is extremely reliable in his off the ball work. On the ball he is ok, occassionally plays some nice passes, mostly standard stuff. If played as a holding player he is a bit unreliable as makes inexplicable errors seemingly through lack of concentration and care with his passing. Besides, one of his best attributes is his energy so its silly to restrain him to just sitting in front of a back four. I'm always happy when he has the ball in the opposition half than in ours. I would have been happy if he had signed a new contract here as he was our captain and one of the players that always started until very recently. For a fellow mid table side like Everton he would be a good signing, not a fancy player but a hard worker with pride and motivation and seems like a great guy. From the outside you lack many of the above types so he would fit in well I think. It does seem that he wants to join Spurs but I would wish him well whereever he ends up and with only a year left on his contract we can hopefully get a reasonable fee and profit on what overall has been a good signing for us.

https://kickgh.com/more/ghanaians-abroad/10115-exclusive-mainz-05-reject-southampton-bid-for-issah-abass# Darling Paul also reporting our interest:

Yeah, quality over quantity. The summer under Poch that we didnt lose anyone vital and added Lovren, Wanyama and Osvaldo really took us forward. Even if the latter didn't exactly work out, the first two did and straight away too. Alao think we will need a 2nd CB signing to be 4th choice assuming Danso and Vestergaard leave. Unless there is an Academy player they feel is ready.

Rennes President in l'Equipe this morning: Regarding #Salisu: “We are working to make it happen as quickly as possible. This track is not the only one, because we know that it has not been acquired (...) We are still in the race. " https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Article/Nicolas-holveck-president-de-rennes-sur-les-transferts-on-est-dans-les-temps-de-passage/1153117 Rennes have already lost out on a couple of players this summer and I think their recruitment team is new so obviously keen to make a positive impression to their fans...but this doesn't read like a done deal.

Would seem our pals from Brittany are also keen!

This deal makes sense broadly, without knowing the specifics of how each player will be valued. KWP is technically very good, looks fit and suited to the Manager's style and importantly is used to PL football and playing for Saints so there is much less risk than in many of our deals. Zeefuik for example, may settle, may not and if he didnt then we are stuffed again. Also surely this deal can be completed quickly - and that suits everyone involved.

Ralph asked aside from CB which positions we are targetting this summer and rather unsuprisingly he said full back, specifically RB as we only have a loan player and Valery who has been injured a lot. I guess LB depends on i.) Bertrand signing a new contract ii.) Whether he feels Vokins is up to being a PL player, even as backup, at this stage. He mentioned that in these areas there is also a lack of Academy options for him (Vokins aside presumably) so we need to do something there. Was also interesting that he suggested we could do things sooner this summer as we are safe from relegation, whereas last season it was tighter.

I like him, we have found a perfect niche for him as he has good skills for a Ralph #10 particularly when balanced with the more refined Redmond. I don't think he is technically good enough to be a PL central midfielder so this suits him perfectly. Good acceleration, direct, can shoot with both feet and works hard. Even though he isn't a young player he still feels like a rough diamond who has some improvement in him.

Well I thought AS were probably fed by Valladolid, who don't really care where he goes as long as they get their cash, whereas the French reports more likely from Rennes who obviously have an agenda to be seen as being in the race bit surely a bit silly of them to suggest to their fans they are close to signing someone if they really aren't as will only lead to disappointment. Re WP, doesn't meet the criteria. He may get an exception of course but perhaps that is why no other PL sides are ahead of us? Nobody knows at this stage, but it doesn't sound like a done deal...yet. Now Sky have picked up on it I imagine Ralph will be asked about him today and he is usually quite open and honest.

From the French side there are some reports that it is not a done deal. A writer of Foot Mercato says: At present, Rennes is still in pole position. His clan is optimistic. The player really wants to sign at @staderennais. There are still a few details to settle.

Hope its true, there are so many conflicting reports! https://www.todofichajes.com/salisu-firmara-con-el-southampton-hasta-2024/ Saw this recently:

He got an assist. Had our best chance of the second half drawing a good save and won the corner leading to our equaliser deep into injury time after playing another full 90mins. What do you actually want?!

The summer windows are all big but this one feels like a window that could define Saints for 2 or 3 years. So far a good end to the season, squad playing exactly how the Manager wants, some high profile performances that targets will have seen and clear weaknesses that are extremely obvious to everyone at the club. Really hope we support the Manager, who is clearly class and knows exactly what he wants. So far, in 4 windows since being at the club he has made two permanent signings (Djenepo, Adams). Cover the weaknesses and see what he can do with a rounded squad and better options in certain positions.

https://le10sport.com/football/mercato/exclu-mercato-rennes-un-dernier-detail-a-regler-pour-salisu-510764 This says that Salisu is very close to joining Rennes once agent commissions are agreed. Juan Mata Snr, his agent, prefers the Southampton offer as he personally gets more cash but the issue of a WP is probably the key issue as Salisu has no caps for Ghana and that makes it hard for him to move to the PL so he will likely join Rennes. If true...its both logical (he has no caps for Ghana) and also utterly bizarre - why would Saints chase a player that it would be hard to legally sign?! Either way, he looks set for Rennes which is a shame. At that price we may as well sign him and loan him out til he qualifies for a WP!

If we don't replace Hojbjerg then its an extremely risky move. We were light on midfielders this season and have been lucky that none of the 3 have really missed a substantial amount of games through injury. Hasenhuttl hasnt really trusted Romeu for a while until he had to bring him back so it would leave JWP as the only proven player in the Manager's system. Smallbone I think is more of a #10 in RH's system unless he has a JWP style improvement in his off the ball play and develops more aggression. If JWP suddenly missed 3 months through injury I think we would struggle to win many games with any combination of Romeu, Smallbone and Reed. Central midfield is key to the pressing game and Hojbjerg's stats for ball wins are excellent, hence why better teams want him and why he played almoat every minute when fit. Simply put, we would almost certainly be weaker in midfield if we replace Hojbjerg with Reed. If Fulham made a decent offer then we should wish him luck, take it and let the Manager sign a player he wants to replace a key player.

Is Mings actually good? Villa have been utterly woeful in defence this season and he is the leader of their back four. Good physical attributes and nice left foot but not sure beyond that.

LOL. He was our PoTY last year and has been an important player this year. Not sure which games he "hasn't turned up for?" Sims - not good enough. Certainly nowhere near NR level, as will be proven by their respective careers. Boufal - always unavailable and likely leaving this summer. Here is a guy that actually has no end product. Djenepo - flashes of promise but not available enough so far. If what you wrote is a genuine opinion then fair enough, but you are wrong. Suprised you didnt add Sam McQueen to your list for a full house.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-wolverhampton-offre-15-millions-d-euros-pour-axel-disasi-reims/1142442 Wolves bid for Disasi, the one we have cooled on to go for Salisu who seems to prefer a move to Rennes. Possibly.

Mentally strong enough to recover from being the prime boo boy target and be PoTY the following season. Would be good to have more competition, absolutely.