Dusic

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For a permanent deal to happen, especially for a player from abroad, I would think we would hear something from good sources by the end of Friday, surely? Hopefully we are advanced with a player by now! Domestic loans can happen quicker I would have thought.

From the Dutch journalist who first reported our interest in Veerman: SC Heerenveen and the Veerman camp do not assume that it will come from a transfer to Southampton this week. The English have shifted their attention for various reasons. Four more days until the market closes. Think we can forget about him for his window. Nothing more reported on Diallo since the initial l'equipe piece.

RLC is a good player, and he would certainly make us better. But, the main reasons I don't think he will sign for us: 1. He isnt in any way shape or form a no6 2. His wages are believed to be close to 150k a week and I dont think Chelsea would agree to subsidising half 3. We would have zero chance of signing him permanently, so not sure its Saints style. IMO they will try for someone like Diallo, and would probably take someone like Davies as there is a decent chance we could keep him longer term if he were to do well. If we got Diallo or similar, plus RLC then thats a different story.

Would hope we know who we are going for and have made firm moves in the last couple of days. Assuming Sangare was the target we missed out on (as reported by Blackmore), Ralph seemed confident we had other options available, rather than concerned. Presume he will do a presser Friday, will be interesting to see what he says as by then if not much is expected it will be very disappointing and will suggest its gone further wrong. The best deals of this last week will be done before the weekend IMO. Hopefully the Diallo talk from l'equipe comes to something. https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/273829/southampton-niet-concreet-voor-interessante-speler-joey-veerman A scout for Saints in Holland suggests we are watching Veerman but won't move for him yet as he isnt PL ready off the ball and says we are suprised Sangare opted for PSV over Saints...noyhing about work permit. Then for the second signing (maybe Sessegnon on loan?) it is surely dependent upon Boufal...and thats gone quiet.

https://www.letelegramme.fr/football/stade-brestois-l-angleterre-pour-ibrahima-diallo-29-09-2020-12628150.php This backs up l'equipe that Saints are keen on Diallo but also says there is more interest from the PL. Mentions specifically Leicester who have been in for him in the past (they just lost Ndidi for 12 weeks), but also hints at others. Hope there is truth in this one and that Saints can afford it as looks like a good player and well suited to wgat we need. Re Carillo - was obvious we would end up paying him off as his wages make a perm deal impossible otherwise and even on loan to Leganes we probably paid 75% of his salary anyway.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Transferts-ibrahima-diallo-brest-cible-par-southampton/1177659 Ibrahima Diallo - suggests offer imminent from Saints. No6.

No chance of Choudhury because Ndidi is injured.

On Veerman, sounds like Herenveen want him to stay for one more year, especially as he only signed a new contract last summer, and they will have little chance to replace their best player with such a short time left in the window. Thats another problem with leaving it so late. From a Saints perspective if we like him then we mighy feel he would be too expensive for us in a year, and maybe with some Holland caps. But at this stage it just sounds like we have enquired - as we probably have with lots of players. Surely decision time on who we go for has to be in the next couple of days...

Re outs: I can us coming to an agreement with Carillo and allowing him to then join another club on a free. Praying Hoedt joins Lazio. Its gone quiet with Boufal the last day or so. Likes of Sims, Hesketh etc can move on loan during the EFL window, til mid October I think.

From what Dan Sheldon said on TSP it sounds like Sangare was the permanent signing we were hoping to make. Reckon it will be loans now.

Doing similar in central midfield. Despite having a year to replace Hojbjerg and a global scouting network we will probably sign Tom Davies on loan.

So...basically a week to go. With Sangare all but signed by PSV the only real links seem to be Davies, RLC and Sessegnon The latter would be a great loan to cover Boufal should he leave, but I am concerned that we won't end up signing anyone who is really a no6, unless something turns up that hasnt yet been talked about. Doubt RLC is a goer anyway for the simple fact that we won't offer to cover all his wages and there will be other teams, the likes of Villa, who will. Very happy with KWP and Salisu signings but we have known for probably a year that PEH was going to leave, and he did weeks ago, so to be scrambling around in the last week, linked to players who don't appear to fit, isnt a great thing. Hoping for something that is under the radar. Preparing for Tom Davies on loan - who Everton ditched because he is crap off the ball and on it.

Knowing Hojbjerg was set to leave about 9-12 months ago and then scrambling around for a replacement in the last week of the window is not a great look.

Can only assume we weren't really in for him as surely coud blow away wages offered by Dutch teams. Seems like a bargain but must be a reason he stayed at Toulouse for so long without anyone moving for him.

Sangare sounds good and I know is highly rated. That leaves two questions: 1. Why has nobody already snapped him up at seemingly a very reasonable fee? 2. Surely there would be competition for him? Personally I think we need someone with proven defensive ability - which he has - and in this position a permanent signing would be better than a loan, as we will just have the same problem next summer otherwise. In the #10 position a loan is more paletable as the player would probably just be cover rather than a key player. If we got Sangare and then someone like Sessegnon on loan, I think that would be excellent.

It says she has veto option on any deal, so she is surely in a position to notice Da Grossa is a charlatan and stop it, should she wish to?

Wilfried Ndidi might be out for 12 weeks so unlikely they would sell Choudhury I would think. Davies getting absolutely slated on Twitter by Everton fans for his performance tonight. Villa after Barkley or RLC on loan, as want a new #8 (neither of these options for us IMO as not a #6 and wages too high even for a loan).

Yep, this Da Grossa lad seems to have fantastic credentials and is well worthy of being granted a period of exclusivity.

https://www.footballinsider247.com/southampton-working-on-beating-west-brom-to-celtic-ace/ Given how many times we have been linked to Ntcham there must be something in it. Fits our price/wage form as well. His Agent must be keen to get him a move. Not sure he is right for us though as seemingly better on the ball than off it...

Well there is zero chance anything gets done in time to impact the window seeing as there are only two weeks to go, so that bit is a load of bollocks. If the finance is complicated, and Dan Sheldon said multiple sources had doubts as to whether Da Grossa actually was able to pull it together, then its not a great start to any talks.

West Brom in for Ntcham. I have said before, I don't think he is the type of player we need. Davies is an interesting one. I just don't think he is a no6. He is more of a JWP/Armstrong hybrid IMO. If we were to sign him and someone else as a true no6 then Im not against bringing him in, as its low risk. But we have known Hojbjerg was likely to leave for a year, and there is no way Davies was even in the top 5 replacements we had identified. Probably not even top 10.

Hard to see us spending £15m on a wide player and then being able to sort CM as well. But he does sound like a Ralph player from the section on him here: https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/youngsters-turned-sporting-cp-around-tactical-analysis-tactics At this stage in the window things will move fast, but also teams will get used to flush out offers from others, so hard to know what to believe. It does fit with Semmens suggesting that some of the other European leagues are under more financial pressure so there may be some deals at lower prices than first quoted. This could be an example, whilst seemingly some players in France now seem to be available at reduced fees, including some midfielders that fit our need.

Which current or ex Saint would you hire to the following roles within the club, and why? Academy Manager Our best spell in the Academy coincided with Georges Prost in this role, so I am going to appoint another Frenchman, Leandre Griffit. He had one good moment in a Saints shirt and then faded into obscurity so would be well placed to guide the nippers through what 90% of them will experience. If there is enough budget he can have Yoann Folly as his assistant - he always seems to be looking for a job. Ticket Office Manager The final two candidates were Dan Harding who just has the look of a call center manager, and Claude Puel. In the end, Puel gets the nod. Ticketing is always a shit show at Saints so limiting yourself to two or three stock phrases no matter what you are asked is a positive. Lots of possibilities but little enjoyment to be had in this role. Commercial Manager A few candidates were considered for this. Stuart Armstrong has a law degree so must be clever and a candidate for a job wearing a suit. Imants Bleidelis has the Baltics market in the palm of his hand. Chung Lee can get us to be a force in Japan after his goal in the Asian Cup final and Emmanuel Mayuka has opened up new opportunities playing for Green Buffaloes in Zambia. Jhon Viafara has a strong network but is currently busy. In the end its hard to look beyond Mario Lemina. Ability to make creatively awful hastags? Check. Ability to persevere with them? Check. Attention to factual accuracy & due dilligence? Check. #welcomebacktoniclad Canteen Gaffer He always needed everything putting on a plate for him so he should have learned what is required for this job. Now that the best finisher in the world, Charlie Austin, is errr, finished, he should be brought back to stand around doing fuck all whilst his lackies serve yoghurt to Michael Obafemi and Shane Long. Head of Security Lots of interest here. Osvaldo was preferred candidate but went AWOL between interviews. Paul Wotton didnt want to leave Devon and Mark Hughes is still too raw. He might be 61 now but Terry Hurlock gets the nod and also a place on the bench at Burnley.

Dan Sheldon on TSP suggesting will be loan deals. Seems a pattern generally for loan with option/obligation and for Saints, given how tight the cash is, those types might work well. All assuming the options are watertight. He suggested some of the bigger teams will have players that might be freed up for loan moves. Whilst, as Semmens suggested, in some of the other European leagues teams may come under more financial pressures due to Covid. Considering we have got in about £25m for Hojbjerg, Reed and some loan fees and spent basically the same on Salisu and KWP - its clear the spend what we generate is about right. Unless we can consistently find rough diamonds and make them £50m players to sell, its going to be hard to become a club that can look up rather than down most seasons when you see what over half the PL can do in terms of spending power. We are one of the longest established PL teams outside the top 6 or 7 but have pretty much the joint lowest record transfer fees, alongside Burnley.