Southampton's summer business so far hasn't been the flashiest.
They did fork out £9m on Lewis Dobbin, but that's some way off West Ham United splashing out £22m on Arne Engels in the middle of the park.
Moreover, Daniel Peretz's return would only cost a modest £7m, which feels like a complete steal, considering his clean-sheet heroics last season on loan.
He has struggled at points this season, but Tonda Eckert will likely keep the ex-Bayern Munich stopper in his first team picture for the visit of Millwall.
Cyle Larin's return was the shrewdest bargain of them all, when looking at Southampton's restrained summer spending, with the potent Canadian only costing around the £2.5m to snap up for good.
Safe to say, they've won the one-time Orlando City striker for a dirt-cheap price, as he's been firing home the goals this season for fun already.
Larin picking up from where he left off
When Larin first joined last season on loan, there would have been question marks hanging in the air as to whether the ageing striker could cut in the demanding Championship.
Indeed, he would enter Eckert's ranks off the back of a goal-shy loan stint at Feyenoord, with just one paltry goal next to his name from 15 matches.
Only scoring ten goals across the previous two campaigns at Mallorca, as well, the move for Larin felt like a big gamble.
Clearly, the Brampton Bagsman just required an Eckert arm around the shoulder to reinvigorate his faltering game, with a superb nine goals put away from 20 games last season, as the Saints soared up the Championship due to his red-hot form.
Cyle keeps cooking 🧑🍳 pic.twitter.com/vuwQquPVip
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 23, 2026
With three goals now scored across his opening four games this campaign, the German has gone as far as to state that the 6-foot-2 menace is the "best in the league" when it comes to the striker position.
This is high praise, indeed, and praise nobody saw coming when Larin first arrived, with his confidence firmly on the floor.
The hope will be that the 33-year-old boss can work his magic on another addition, who will be joining the talented group at his disposal, consumed by his own self-doubt...
Can Eckert work his magic on this other arrival?
It must be strange for Eckert being such a young manager that he has players at his fingertips who are nearly as old as he is.
James Ward-Prowse is only two years off hitting the Berlin-born manager's youthful age for a head coach, with the 31-year-old set to complete a dramatic return to South Coast soil, after lining up for Southampton a staggering 410 times before moving to West Ham in 2023.
Since leaving the comforts of home behind, Ward-Prowse has struggled, as - away from collecting 14 goal contributions in the Premier League during his debut season at the London Stadium - he has only managed to grab one goal, playing for teams such as Burnley, and Nottingham Forest on loan, alongside lining up for Nuno Espirito Santo's men.
But, Southampton have been here before when taking a risk on Larin, knowing he had previously scored goals by the bucket load for the likes of Orlando and Beskitas, and the Saints know all too well what Ward-Prowse is capable of, when performing at full pelt.
Indeed, he didn't fluke 55 goals and 52 assists on the South Coast, with Eckert now tasked with getting another under performer back to their best, with Pep Guardiola once referring to the 11-time England international as the "best free kick taker" he's ever seen.
This compliment was handed to him in 2022, yet four years later, he is rejoining the Saints for a reported fee of just £800k.
If Eckert can help restore his confidence, another Larin-style steal is on the cards, as two reenergised veterans attempt to steer Southampton to a glorious promotion.
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