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Southampton: Saints on course for biggest transfer net-spend

By Marc Walker

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 05: Mark Hughes, Manager of Southampton looks on priort to the Premier League match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on May 5, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 05: Mark Hughes, Manager of Southampton looks on priort to the Premier League match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park on May 5, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Following the completion of four summer signings, Southampton look set to record their biggest ever net-spend on transfers for a single season.

The Southampton board have realised the areas of Mark Hughes’ squad that need to be strengthened and provided the funds to help the team become competitive again.

So far, Stuart Armstrong, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Angus Gunn and Jannik Vestergaard have arrived on the South Coast for a combined total of £56m (according to transfermarkt.co.uk), and summer spending may not be done yet.

Dusan Tadic has been the only players to leave for a fee to date as he completed a £10.2m move to Dutch club Ajax. This means a net-spend of around £45.7m with around three weeks of the transfer window remaining.

The previous highest figure was the £37.35m that the club spent in preparation for their first campaign back in the Premier League in 2012/13.

Next: Marieanne Spacey join Saints in high-profile appointment

OSLO, NORWAY – MARCH 23: Mohamed Amine Elyounoussi of Norway during International Friendly between Norway v Australia at Ullevaal Stadion on March 23, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Trond Tandberg/Getty Images)
OSLO, NORWAY – MARCH 23: Mohamed Amine Elyounoussi of Norway during International Friendly between Norway v Australia at Ullevaal Stadion on March 23, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Trond Tandberg/Getty Images) /

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2014/15 saw Saints spend £86.44m on players, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle and Dusan Tadic all coming in. However, sales of £111m during that summer saw the club make a profit of around £24m.

Much of this summer’s spending power has been helped by the sale of Virgil Van-Dijk last January for around £70m. The club were criticised for not trying to resolve issues within the squad sooner but seem to be back on track now.

With fellow top-flight squads strengthening hugely in this window too, it can be seen as a positive sign that recruits in key areas are arriving. More creativity and a commanding Centre-Back were certainly required, and eventually signed in the form of Elyounoussi and Vestergaard.

The club have taken the situation into their own hands in a bid to avoid another relegation battle. Following four years of top-half finishes, the board seem to have been forced int action.

Potential spaces remain in the first-team for an additional striker and back-up Right-Back and it remains to be seen whether players in those positions will come in.