Southampton: Saints Marching’s summer transfer window roundtable – Harry Tizard

Q4) Saints have made some very decent deadline day signings in the past. Which of these was the best signing and why?

For me, it has to be Sadio Mane. Despite not hitting the ground running, the Senegalese winger scored on twenty one occasions in the Premier League for the Saints, and was one of the best players to wear the red and white in the last decade.

However, it is not simply his goal scoring that does it for me. His ability to create something out of nothing and play in such a direct way through running at the defence and creating those chances epitomised everything that Southampton was about and the positive brand of football that we played under Ronald Koeman which is only just started to come back to the south coast under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The moments he created will also never be forgotten. The record breaking hat-trick, his double in a three two-comeback win against Liverpool and the hat-trick against Manchester City all culminate into the reason why he was our best deadline day signing of all time.

Also a mention to Manolo Gabbiadini, who both kept us in the Premier League with his goal against Swansea, and gave us hope in the League Cup final with his two goals.