Summer Transfer Window 2026

[VectisSaint]

1 hour ago, sockeye said:

Insane signing.

I suggest the important point is whether he has accepted.

Don't believe for one moment that this would have happened if there was any mileage in the FA "investigation" of his being "bullied". More signs to me that nothing is going to happen and that the club already know where they stand with the FA. Hope I'm not proved wrong.

[HarvSFC]

Showcasing the weird narrative from the media in prolonging and dragging this story out, as Dragan Solak said we've offered him a position at the club in his interview a month ago.

 

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

He's a grown adult. I still don't agree that he was some wide eyed innocent just following orders. 

He was very obviously being pressured into doing something he wasn't comfortable with, as was made clear by some of the messages being released. Where the line is in vocabulary between 'coercive behaviour' and 'bullying' is all semantics but it's very obvious why Tonda might be facing a ban and not Will Salt.

[Oldandtired]

..a permanent job, a better pair of binoculars and an iPhone upgrade.

[hypochondriac]

2 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

He was very obviously being pressured into doing something he wasn't comfortable with, as was made clear by some of the messages being released. Where the line is in vocabulary between 'coercive behaviour' and 'bullying' is all semantics but it's very obvious why Tonda might be facing a ban and not Will Salt.

Not sure I ever suggested will salt should be facing any sort of ban. I'm sure there are shades of grey in all this though rather than black and white Tonda evil and will salt the Archangel Gabriel.

[Saint Fan CaM]

2 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

He was very obviously being pressured into doing something he wasn't comfortable with, as was made clear by some of the messages being released. Where the line is in vocabulary between 'coercive behaviour' and 'bullying' is all semantics but it's very obvious why Tonda might be facing a ban and not Will Salt.

I think there is distinction to be made between him imagining that he was expected to go on the trip to Boro and to not make a fuss, and there actually being any form of direct bullying from anyone in the coaching team. Is there enough evidence that indicates that he had an option to complain and not go? As far as I remember most of the pressure reportedly came from the chief scout and not Tonda as such, who just sanctioned the trip. Now if it’s shown that the culture in the club was not right leading to Salt being scared to complain then that’s a corporate culture issue…not necessarily Tonda’s alone, but the club has received substantial punishment already. My gut feeling is the FA involvement is to ensure going forward that corporate procedures are improved, including perhaps an anonymous whistleblower hotline to an independent arbitrator for example (not uncommon in the modern business world). This might explain the time it’s taken to verify that the preventive action is in place.

[Challenger]

When Solak said in his apology vid that he was going to all out to nail promotion this coming season, Will Salt was not the type of signing I had in mind.

[Weston Super Saint]

52 minutes ago, Challenger said:

When Solak said in his apology vid that he was going to all out to nail promotion this coming season, Will Salt was not the type of signing I had in mind.

Have you seen Will Salt this summer?

Exactly, spying level increased to 100!  This is a game changer.

[Gloucester Saint]

17 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Have you seen Will Salt this summer?

Exactly, spying level increased to 100!  This is a game changer.

Certainly worth his salt….

[Football Special]

On 10/07/2026 at 14:26, Saint86 said:

if they gave up on a young striker after half a season in a new country/league, it would be a pretty damning indictment all around.

Especially when they have invested the £7M transfer fee in him, costly mistake for a championship club , has to be in our interests as well as Downs to try to get him going if thats at all possible. Those of us who saw him play last season would doubt it, but he can't have always been that bad can he. 

 

[swedish dave]

21 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Especially when they have invested the £7M transfer fee in him, costly mistake for a championship club , has to be in our interests as well as Downs to try to get him going if thats at all possible. Those of us who saw him play last season would doubt it, but he can't have always been that bad can he. 

 

.....even if he did well and scored in the German second league, the last season was disappointing to say the least

BUT maybe his limited game time on loan will have taught him something, even if he didn't get on the score sheet.

There must be a footballer in there somewhere, perhaps getting gametime alongside Larin may be of benefit. 

[SuperSAINT]

 

[ally_uk]

4 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Happy with this if true 👍 fair play 

[hypochondriac]

3 minutes ago, ally_uk said:

Happy with this if true 👍 fair play 

Slightly worried it means Scienza is off.

[SuperSAINT]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Slightly worried it means Scienza is off.

My thoughts exactly. Don’t think Dobbin plays centrally as a rule.

Edited 54 minutes ago by SuperSAINT

[Willo of Whiteley]

18 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

First thought - it’s from The Athletic - I’m surprised they haven’t found a way to slag us off over this deal.

Secondly, it doesn’t necessarily mean Leo Scienza if off.

Squad depth is needed, and wide players, effective wide players were in short supply last season.

[Football Special]

22 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Not a player I've noticed , is he a left winger then? 

[CSA96]

 

[Stu Man Do]

Didn’t Solak say we were looking for someone to take the pressure off of Azaz? 
 

Hopefully we keep hold of Scienza as well as he’s likely to improve again this season with better fitness.

[Gloucester Saint]

20 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

My thoughts exactly. Don’t think Dobbin plays centrally as a rule.

Says here either flank or shadow striker but don’t know how accurate this site is https://onefootball.com/de/news/southampton-eye-lewis-dobbin-as-tonda-eckert-seeks-another-leo-scienza-style-spark-43125012

[CSA96]

I saw Preston fans chatting about him late in the season and they were saying he was at his best when he was playing in the space behind a striker who could hold the ball up. Loves to make runs in behind or attempt a shot from the edge of the box. They felt he was more effective as an AM or coming off the left

Edited 31 minutes ago by CSA96

[Willo of Whiteley]

13 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Not a player I've noticed , is he a left winger then? 

He can play anywhere across the three positions behind the striker but has predominantly been a left winger.

He would immediately be an upgrade on Sam Edozie or Jay Robinson.

Edited 26 minutes ago by Willo of Whiteley

[Pilchards]

I certainly see him as an option in the Azaz position. Also someone who can come off the bench when Scienza gets tired.

Edozie IMHO should be moved on as he’s hit and miss. 

[trousers]

12 minutes ago, Stu Man Do said:

Didn’t Solak say we were looking for someone to take the pressure off of Azaz? 

He did indeed, and this fella seems to fit the bill?

Edited 23 minutes ago by trousers

[Pilchards]

Been watching some of the Preston goals from last season. He’s that great option to play off Larin. Got great speed plus is an assist machine.

10 goals, 8 assists.

[Draino78]

Saints are getting the players in, to hit the ground running - Dragan is a man of his word to be fair 😊

Edited 9 minutes ago by Draino78

[Turkish]

Going to be great playing off Downs picking up all those headers he wins, good to see the club finally building a team around him

[hypochondriac]

17 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

He can play anywhere across the three positions behind the striker but has predominantly been a left winger.

He would immediately be an upgrade on Sam Edozie or Jay Robinson.

And a downgrade on Scienza if we're being cynical. 9 million is a heck of a chunk of change to spend if he's an upgrade on Edozie or Robinson given that both were fringe players last season. 

[revolution saint]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

And a downgrade on Scienza if we're being cynical. 9 million is a heck of a chunk of change to spend if he's an upgrade on Edozie or Robinson given that both were fringe players last season. 

Agree with this.  9M ain't the kind of money you drop on someone unless they're pretty much a guaranteed starter.

[CB Fry]

I believe I am right in saying this is the first player we have had on our books that shares a name with a character from Rentaghost.

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, CB Fry said:

I believe I am right in saying this is the first player we have had on our books that shares a name with a character from Rentaghost.

We had young goalkeeper Harry Lewis for a while and also Lewis Paine, but we've not had many Lewis's in the first time. Was Lew Chatterley a Lewis? Probably the first ever coach to be named after a Rentaghost character AND an unhappy married aristocrat neglected by her husband.