Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

I'd agree but I'd settle for trying for the reinforcements Pellegrino wants to bring in, even if that seems inobvious to the fanbase at first. I really hope we're not settling for what we've got in the belief we can't attract better for the funds we have...

MODS - any chance of a snap poll? Based on the situation as it stands right now - do you want VVD to stay? On one hand, it would show fans the club has held its nerve with our captain and best player, who signed a 6 year deal only 1 year ago, but, on the other, we'd be left with a player who clearly wants out (with cash in hand from not handing in a transfer request) and who may have irreparably tarnished his reputation. Simple choice: keep or sell!

So, I wonder how today's planned re-introduction went?

Is that your hope or do you have something more to go on?

Not by us. Yet. Hopefully...?

Clasie is in the squad for France but no sign of McCarthy again.

We've got Van Dijk, he's gone on strike, I just don't think he understands, We will never sell, for less than £60 mill, So get stuffed Virgil Van Dijk. I'll get me coat...

According to the BBC transfers site we've loaned our entire club to MK Dons. That'll wind up the Scousers...

Sounds nailed on for us then...

I think it would be very interesting to see if he's so desperate to go to Liverpool if we could get him to stay 1 more year & they didn't qualify for the Champions League the following season. Would be really daft if he still insisted on going to Liverpool, then.

Is that not how we do our business?

Saints currently 5/6 favs on Sky bet to sign Chalobah. Might be something in this.

Goal are reporting we are trying to hijack Chalobah's move to Watford...

Could do with a couple of brutes! One as a target man and some company for Oriol in defensive midfield. Some may say, even one to take Yoshi's place next to Virgil.

I'm stressing already! Now saying up & running from 9am tomorrow. Not a glorious start to new season matchday sales!!

Another stunning success for the Saints ticket purchasing system as it has crashed today, on the day tickets go on sale for the first home game of the season. Tried buying over the phone, too, and the staff can't access/use it either! Likely to be down for hours, I was told...

It's the pony tail. Osvaldo, van Dijk - 2 pony tails, 2 tales of upset.

I'd really love to know what our strategy is this window. Is it to gamble that the new manager will be able to drag more effective performances out of our forward players & we look to add younger players with an eye on the future or will we look to add 2 or 3 players who can immediately improve the first XI? I suspect it's more the former, given our first purchase & the relative unknowns we've been linked with so far, but it'll only really bccome apparent, I'd say, in September. It would be nice to make at least one signing where the rest of the division would look & say "yeah, great signing".

Not really, they think VVD is only worth £50m.

Amongst all the overpriced deals being done, there is still the odd bargain which can be found. £5 million for Chalobah would definitely fall into that bargain category.

I know he's already been mentioned on the main transfers thread but, if media and Twitter rumours are correct, he could be winging his way to SMS pretty soon and I thought he deserves his own thread. Here's what the Metro thinks, for starters: http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/04/southampton-target-8-75million-transfer-for-arsenal-target-and-rising-french-star-yann-karamoh-6753398/ The next Mbappe? Let's hope so...

Surprised Franny hasn't had a mention yet, actually. That tackle on Fashanu is worthy of cult status alone!

I think my username best identifies my choice...

I think my username best identifies my choice...

I do agree. Making an occasional splash like this might also convince some like VVD, Bertrand and Cedric that would do have genuine ambitions to crack the top 6. Big money signings don't always come off, but they do give some sense of where a team would like to go.