Southampton learn of compensation fee needed for Thierry Small signing

Southampton have reportedly learned of the compensation fee that Everton are wanting for the transfer of young full-back Thierry Small.

According to a report from Football Insider, Saints’ initial offer of £1.5m has been turned down by the Toffees, who are holding out for a figure closer to £5m for a player they regard as a top future talent.

Transfer rules require a compensation package to be agreed between clubs when a player of Small’s age moves, and if an agreement cannot be found, a tribunal will settle the case.

Saints’ recruitment drive saw them sign many top promising players in the summer transfer window and full-backs Thierry Small and Tino Livramento are at the top of that list.

Can Southampton and Everton reach middle ground?

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With a £3.5m difference between Saints’ initial offer and the figure that Everton want, there is still a way to go before an agreement can be found.

If Small becomes the player that he is expected to be and is four or five times is current value in the future then even the £5m fee will not be a big one for Saints to pay out.

However, those at St Mary’s would not be running their own business correctly if they did not try and negotiate to save funds and provide more potential profit on Small in years to come.

The fact that Saints are managing to attract players of the calibre of Small and Livramento is positive. These players see them as the club to give them their first-team breakthroughs and ultimately kick-start careers that may not be progressing quite as they could.

Developing these talents then has huge positives in later years when big offers are made by other clubs and Saints can then reinvest their profit on furthering their own club.