Taylor Harwood-Bellis has done enough. More than enough. And yet here he stands, his future tied to a club that just humiliated itself on the biggest stage imaginable.
The Premier League interest will come as no surprise to anyone who watched him closely this season. West Ham, Crystal Palace and Everton have all been keeping tabs, and Southampton's valuation of over ÂŁ20 million tells its own story about the regard in which the 24-year-old is held.
The only genuine surprise is that the queue is not considerably longer.
Bargain hunting at the top end
West Ham reportedly submitted multiple bids in January, including both loan and permanent offers. Southampton turned every single one down. At the time, that decision carried some logic. Now, sitting in the wreckage of the spygate scandal, it looks considerably less clever.
Crystal Palace and Everton have had scouts watching. Relegated Burnley, where Harwood-Bellis spent a successful loan earlier in his career, are apparently still sniffing around too. For a player of his profile, these clubs represent the lower end of realistic ambition rather than the upper end.
This is a composed, ball-playing centre-back with aerial presence, leadership qualities and an England cap to his name. West Ham, Palace and Everton are not chasing a prospect. They are chasing a ready-made Premier League defender at what amounts to a knockdown price.
Southampton know it too. The ÂŁ20 million valuation represents good value.
Southampton burned their own house down
The club dragged its own name through the mud in a manner that no Championship side has managed before them. The expulsion from the play-off final has not just cost Southampton promotion. It has cost them leverage, credibility and the goodwill of every player in the dressing room.
The Daily Mail reported that Saints players are considering legal action against the club, after being promised a significant bonus per player if they were promoted. Some took wage cuts after relegation, cuts that would have been reversed had they reached the Premier League. Players may now argue the club violated the terms of their agreements, with some potentially able to walk away without any transfer fee.
Several Southampton players have already contacted the Professional Footballers' Association to assess their options over potential loss of earnings, sources confirmed to ESPN.
That context changes everything. Southampton's ÂŁ20million asking price looks increasingly optimistic when the player himself may have grounds to leave for nothing.
Harwood-Bellis has a contract until 2028, which gives Southampton protection on paper. Beyond that, they hold very few cards worth playing.
A player with Premier League ambitions and England aspirations looks at Southampton right now and sees a club drowning in self-inflicted embarrassment, facing an FA investigation and haemorrhaging goodwill by the day.
Harwood-Bellis' was forced to apologise on social media for his distasteful binocular celebration during the semi-final second leg.
Southampton can demand their ÂŁ20million. Given everything that has happened, they should consider themselves fortunate that anyone is still asking.
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