Years ago, Southampton missed the chance to sign Bryan Mbeumo under Ralph Hassenhuttl's management and must be regretting now as the 25-year-old forward nears his well deserved Manchester United transfer.
The Ralph Hassenhuttl reign was one of the most consistent Premier League eras at Southampton. The Saints were regularly eyeing a mid-table finish and often ended within distance touching of achieving their goal.
Overall, those handful of seasons were quite ambitious from the surface but from the inside, the transfer businesses echoed a similar awful feeling. Kevin Danso's immediate loan give-up is well-documented in that regard, but there was also an in-form forward on that list whom Southampton couldn't even lure to St. Mary's.
We are talking about Bryan Mbeumo, who attracted heavy €8m bids from Southampton according to L'Equipe, but nothing materialized from that attempt.
Mbeumo's Manchester United move brings transfer regret to Southampton
To make matters worse, Mbeumo has earned a glowing reputation among Premier League's elite frontmen since then, while the Saints are working their way out from the transfer mess they have created. As a result, the 25-year-old is now closing in on a lucrative move to join Manchester United.
In the words of Fabrizio Romano: "Bryan Mbeumo has decided to give priority to Manchester United move this summer."
On a side note, the speculated fee is said to fall in the region of £50m but the bottom line is, that amount might've gone to Southampton's transfer fund. Plus, a goalscorer of his quality also slipped from their hands means the Saints can't even console themselves while watching Mbeumo earn his Old Trafford stardom.
Feels embarrassing to say, but Francis Benali's comments seem to be true with each passing day. Hence, it's high time Southampton took valuable transfer notes and they must emphasise on atleast getting each buying decision spot on.