Championship rival Derby County leave the Saints in the dust by securing their former midfield target Bobby Clark on a year-long loan spell.
With each passing day, Southampton sees the time window until the new season getting narrower, but with more surprises every day. And if yesterday their own squad's shortcomings troubled the fans, today the fear of underdogs re-emerges among the St. Mary's faithful.
Admit it or not, Derby County's recent Max Johnston bid must've intrigued the fans, and while it was denied, it caught all the attention for coming from a near-relegation side for a top full-back target.
Well, but for those pitying the Rams' failure, Derby is back at it as they execute snatching a former Southampton summer transfer target now. It's RB Salzburg's midfield prodigy, Bobby Clark.
If you remember, the Saints were ambitiously linked to Clark at the end of June, viewing him as their next gem in the same role as Mateus Fernandes. Yet, fast forward to now, all those expectations make little sense as the 20-year-old agrees to a loan move to Derby.
Saints must learn from Championship strugglers to get deals over the line
In fact, not only that, the Football Insider reveals Clark's Pride Park arrival and should things go as planned, he will become the Rams' new signing within a couple of hours.
Honestly, having been compared to Derby's poorest Top Flight side throughout last season, this transfer defeat shouldn't feel that obnoxious to Saints. But putting in perspective that it comes from a Rams' side that's struggling to keep up even in the second division, must come as a reality check for Southampton.
That's because, being suggested to draw inspiration from mid-table side Norwich, the other day, and now learning to execute deals through from Derby, it shows how underwhelming the Saints' transfer window has been. And yet the most annoying part? These defeats just account for their fluctuating interest, not due to a lack of resources anyway.
Like it or not, given the number of winnable deals Southampton have let pass through, the Saints are under significant performance pressure ahead of the new season. But, on the bright side, it comes with an opportunity to send off a strong message on the field despite off-the-field miseries. Let's see if Will Still manages the side onto this path.