Saints Marching
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Southampton: Saints Marching’s perfect January transfer window

By Chris Hughes

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: New Liverpool signing Virgil van Dijk attends the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on December 30, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: New Liverpool signing Virgil van Dijk attends the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on December 30, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 2:Hakim Ziyech from AJAX with the ball while Vincent Koziello from OSC Nice defends during the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Third Round: Second Leg match between AJAX Amsterdam and OSC Nice at Amsterdam Arena, on August 2, 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Andy Astfalck/Getty Images)
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 2:Hakim Ziyech from AJAX with the ball while Vincent Koziello from OSC Nice defends during the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Third Round: Second Leg match between AJAX Amsterdam and OSC Nice at Amsterdam Arena, on August 2, 2017 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Andy Astfalck/Getty Images) /

Chris Hughes – mixed bag

IN

  • Hakim Ziyech – Permanent from Ajax (£23 million)
  • Alexander Sorloth – Permanent from Fc Midtjylland (£10 million)
  • Theo Walcott – Permanent from Arsenal (£15 million)
  • Christopher Jullien – Permanent from Toulouse (£10 million)

Much like Dan, Hakim Ziyech would be my marquee signing made this window. The fact that Les Reed and co. didn’t sign a single attacking player last summer was criminal, so we need a big-name player to compensate for that. Ziyech has eight assists in the Eredevisie and is perhaps the most technically gifted player in the league.

Meanwhile the other bigger-name player I’d want to recruit is Theo Walcott. Wages would prove a stumbling block but like Wayne Rooney re-joining Everton, the 28-year-old winger could lift the dressing room and be a squad leader. It’d be a risk, but he’d bring goals and pace to a team that needs both.

My final two signings would be a little less high-profile but would still take our spending over the £50 million mark. Sorloth is a relatively quick and young striker making his name in Denmark. Not only that but he’s also six-foot-four and excellent in the air. Jullien himself is six-foot-five which would help with the Saints’ terrible defending from crosses. At 24 he’s already established himself and we’ve been linked with him before. He seems a perfect fit for our back-line.

OUT

  • Virgil van Dijk – Permanent to Liverpool (£75 million)
  • Manolo Gabbiadini – Permanent to AC Milan (£15 million)
  • Dusan Tadic – Loan to mid-tier Bundesliga side with option to buy (£8 million)
  • Jan Bednarek – Loan to Championship side
  • Jake Hesketh  – Loan to Championship side

I think I’ve been pretty bold with my departure predictions. VVD is already gone but I think a couple of first-team players need to budge. With Long’s work-rate and Charlie Austin’s superior ability as a Premier League forward, I have a hunch Gabbiadini could go. Milan are struggling and need proven forwards – we could potentially make a small profit.

If we’re to sign a big-money #10 and a winger then one of our attacking-midfielders also has to budge. I think Tadic has just as much of a toxic attitude as VVD did and you get the idea that he seems very entitled and egotistical. He’s added a couple more goals in the last few games but I’d still rather see him shifted.

Finally, I think two of our top young players should go to good Championship sides to get experience. Both Bednarek and Hesketh are potential first-team players in the future so we need to get them developing as ASAP.

What are your thoughts on your perfect January windows? Let us know on Twitter!