SNSUN

Weren't we linked with Rico Henry this summer? Gone to Brentford. I still think our business is done this window. I'd like us to bring in Haller to offer something else up front but can't see it. I wait to be surprised though... Stoke doing well today.

Personally don't think we'll sign anyone, but if I could choose a position it'd be striker. Haller probably, as he'd scored lots of goals in Holland in the last 18 months and offers something different to what we have already. Can't see us bringing in Saponara now we have Boufal but you never know. Just one signing would at least give us something to get excited about, rather than watch Hull scrabble around in the last 12 hours looking for anyone that has two legs and can kick a football. I'd LOL at a late move for Lukaku and Barkley by one of the big clubs too... Naturally we all want Saints to sign a DM, RB, CB, AM and STR but there's more chance of me banging Taylor Swift than that happening.

Chambers has as good as gone to Boro. Also recently linked with a left back (I forget his name but I'm sure I read a link about one) and Haller. Good names on that list (and one or two I hadn't even heard us linked with!). Denayer and VVD know each other's games - after Fonte that'd be a great partnership for years. Or until a big club swoop. Trippier would only come as first choice IMO, I think we've shown with the Cedric contract who we think is first choice in that role. Saponara has decent stats, people have been talking about Ziyech all summer, and I still think Berahino would be a good signing at the right price. He could be as good as Defoe if he winds his neck in and concentrates on his game.

Decent signing, I've advocated us signing him for the last 3 Windows, scores goals despite not playing regularly for Spurs and is of a peak age. Relatively inexpensive too. I hope we get more out of Boufal than they do out of Chadli.

Can't believe we beat Watford to this signing. Amazing stuff. Seriously a welcome addition to the squad and hopefully we get him fit sooner rather than later. Hopefully we still bring in a striker and then I'd say we're all set. (Dreamland would be additionally a defensive midfield beast and a young centre back to long term replace Fonte and a right back to cover Pied's injury but we can't have everything.)

In what world is he the same player? Gestede is nearly 6 years older, scored only 5 goals last year, is proven not to be a Premier League striker (even his own fans were saying so) and ludicrously would cost us a lot more than £8million euros. Haller has the potential, which was my point. If today's game is anything to go by, we need reinforcements up front. Granted we need someone that can do it right now, but Haller is an inexpensive option with potential. 24 goals last season shows he knows where the net is.

I think Haller would be a decent signing based on the facts and videos I've seen. Tall, fits the gap Pellé's departure left us with (meaning we can change things up if needed), he's only just 22 so has room to improve, scored 24 goals last season (albeit in Holland) and has a French link for Puel. And Utrecht have priced him at only £8 million euros. What's not to like!?! :-) With Boufal and Redmond I'd say that makes us as strong as we could hope for after losing Mané, Pellé and Juanmi. Would be nice if it happened, Haller seems a Saints-type signing. (Inexpensive with potential.)

That was more a comment about Inter. Previously linked with de Boer, Banega and Eder. Will be interesting to see how they get on.

Holy Flirking Schmidt! Inter Milan and Sparta Prague. Great draw for the away fans but we'll do bloody well to get through! If ever there was a better time to strengthen with a few more players...

Whatever happened to this link? Do we remain interested?

Can someone ring me when we've signed someone please - number is 0898 696969. No wait, that's the business line... Just do a dance like Zaza and I'll know.

We have creativity in Tadic, what we're lacking since Mané left is an attacking X Factor. The question is, which of those two has more of that? Stanciu from what I've read. Still, it'd be brilliant to get both! However unlikely. I still wonder why no-one has had a pop at Ziyech yet. Maybe there's something we're not seeing...

He signed he contract in the first place, he's stuck with it. The club are right to show they can't be bullied by players for a move. Two situations can come of the club refusing to sell: 1) Fonte kicks off at having to stay, let him waste the tail end of his career playing with youth. He's too old to see out the next two years and then expect a big money move, and the club are used to wasting wages on players such as Ramirez for years. 2) He realises what little chance he has of getting his move, bites the bullet and signs the new contract. He's bled for this club for six and a half years, I can't see it as too much of a stretch for him to decide to stay and play. We're not exactly offering paupers wages, and we are in Europe. That said of course, if the club do decide to flog him, that nullifies my point. I still think (and hope) he'll still be here come September, although his reputation could be tarnished by this.

You could say the same about the Austrian league where we signed Mané. He was a gamble, it just so happens it paid off. Stanciu would be the same gamble; whether it pays off or not, he is the type of person we should be looking at signing - decent stats in a poorer league than our own. (He says, remembering what Steaua Bucharest did to us in Europe in 2003...)

Well the compensation Liverpool paid was £6.5 million, and if the Benteke deal is the bar, they're trying to recoup what they paid for players. In today's market that's more like £10 million. Agree I'd have a stab at £5 million or so. Still got his best years ahead of him.

Klopp says Danny Ings is not needed at Liverpool. If he's injury free, worth a pop? Although I can see him back at Burnley...

As glass half full as I try to be, I have this down as a big defeat. No biggy though, still early days.

****s sake, I'm one that thinks Clasie will only get better, and we should be keeping him. Someone shut the damn window! I'll take the team as is, we can pick up the AM in January! My worry with Puel is if anyone leaves they won't be replaced. And that's my first worry of this new regime...

If no senior players leave, and we sign one good attacking midfielder/number 10, I'd say that is a pretty good window. Perhaps a little weaker than last season but not by much. Then it's just up to Puel to get the tactics right.

VVD signed for six years (http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160507-virgil-van-dijk-new-contract-announcement-southampton-3099615.aspx) which means he'll be 31 by the time his contract expires, if we wanted to be spiteful and hold him to it, but we all know contracts aren't worth much, and in a year or 2 we'll be looking to cash in on him. That's just how we do business. He could well be our record sale too. I'd love it if we kept him for his career but as we've seen from the last few years that won't happen. As for Fonte, I really hope, and personally I reckon, he'll stay put. Yes he wants the big move and play in the Champions League, but at his age it would be unlikely. Even if he moves, it's unlikely he'll be first choice, and that would jeopardise his Portugal place. He can be a legend with us if he stays, he's already well on his way to that status. Irrespective I'm looking forward to September so all this speculation can end. Maybe it's wishful thinking for a player that's been through so much with us to show a bit of loyalty at the tail end of his career.... One thing I will say, even if this whole 'Fonte leaving' thing hadn't come up, is that we need to think about replacing him anyway because of his age. IF he goes, that just speeds up the process to find a new first choice centre back to partner VVD. Yoshida, Gardos, Jones, Turnbull McCarthy and Stephens are all back up players, I wouldn't (yet) have faith in any of them being our number one centre back, maybe in a couple of years one of the youngsters might surprise us, but really we need to be looking at a new first choice centre back, whatever happens with Fonte.

I would love if that was true, I've been advocating Chadli for a year. A goal scoring midfielder. They exist. And he's entering his prime. But for £20 million, which Spurs want, there is better value out there surely?

Denayer played with VVD at Celtic. Could be some of his influence there.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman says his squad is only "70% fit" heading into their Premier League opener against Tottenham after being given too much time off this summer. (Daily Mail) Excuses starting already...

Rafa Silva, the next Eden Hazard by some accounts, sounds promising! I look forward to seeing him play. Mind you, Jordy Clasie was the next Xavi, and Mark Paul was the next Michael Owen.... While we wait, here are some pictures of cats posing as pin up models. http://www.cutestpaw.com/articles/30-sexy-cats-that-look-like-pin-up-girls/

According to this 3 hours old article, Watford are the only concrete bidders for Boufal so far. http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/watford-table-opening-offer-for-lille-winger-sofiane-boufal-4141711 How true it is is anyone's guess. I suppose if we were doing things on the quiet they wouldn't know about our bid. I don't know why, but I have a nagging recurring feeling it might be Mata - which would be amazing - one of our biggest transfers of all time - but I highly doubt it. Only 28 which isn't bad but it would cost too much in wages. Still, I can dream. Tello was my initial thought, but it seems he's bound for Fiorentina. I suppose there could be substance to this Gabbiadini link. Also someone mentioned Odegaard - it is true we've been interested in him for some time... Exciting times.