Keven Schlotterbeck has gone up in the estimations of Southampton fans even more after his heroic performance at the back during the South Coast Derby.
Indeed, the German colossus put his body on the line numerous times to protect the Saints' precarious one goal lead on Sunday, with the £3m forked out on his services in the summer continuing to stick out as a top drawer bargain.
Tonda Eckert and Co. desperately needed defensive reinforcements that would instantly fit in, too, after Taylor Harwood-Bellis' departure to Aston Villa left them light on their feet, and thankfully, Schlotterbeck has come in and hasn't looked out of place one bit.
The one-time Augsburg defender wasn't the only centre-back on the Saints' radar, with this other transfer target they had in mind going on to join a Premier League club, over moving to St. Mary's.
The other target the Saints had in mind
At one point during the chaotic summer transfer window, the South Coast club were tentatively linked with a loan swoop for Stephen Mfuni.
It wasn't the most concrete link, but there were murmurs that Mfuni could possibly move to St. Mary's on loan, before the Manchester City youngster decided to pack his bags for newly promoted Coventry City, instead.
Of course, the Saints did dip their toes into the loan market to snap up Divin Mubama from the controversy-ridden top-flight outfit, but they didn't quite manage to get their hands on the highly-rated defender.
Right at the death of the window, Zach Abbott did also join to bolster Eckert's options at the back, as the teenage centre-back joined on a temporary deal from Nottingham Forest.
But, he was nowhere to be seen - even among the substitutes - during the hectic South Coast Derby, leaving many to wonder why they bothered at all to sign the quickly forgotten number six.
While Abbott was mysteriously out of the squad on Sunday, Mfuni bagged his first-ever Premier League goal for the Sky Blues on Monday night, as Frank Lampard's underdogs beat Newcastle United 4-1.
He has just scored in the Premier League
Mfuni is very rarely among the goals.
Southampton would have been looking at the England U21 international more for his defensive discipline, when targeting his signature, with a bulldozing average of 6.5 duels won last season in the Championship, out on loan with Watford.
The 18-year-old has displayed just that for his new loan side, too, with six duels won in September as Coventry won 1-0 at near neighbours Nottingham Forest, but he would score his first ever senior goal when bagging a wonderfully taken strike against the Magpies.
Stephen Mfuni makes his mark for Coventry! 👊 pic.twitter.com/KI2kgpfUJP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 12, 2026
He is now in the Coventry history books, off the back of his late screamer making it 4-1, as he is the Sky Blues' youngest ever Premier League goalscorer.
Eckert and Co. must be left with a sense of what could have been if they'd managed to win his signature ahead of the top-flight newbies, as he has been heralded as having a "bright future ahead" by journalist Bence Bocsak.
Yet, it could well have been a tricky situation if Mfuni did end up uprooting to St. Mary's, over the CBS Arena, as he would have been demanding starts, potentially over the likes of Schlotterbeck.
Abbott also can't be written off just yet as their loan choice, with Forest's loan manager Owen Coyle - who will be further be known for a Championship stint in the dug-out at Burnley - stating that the inexperienced defender is a "top talent" who has been chucked into a "competitive team."
Indeed, he could still come good, as Southampton attempt to win promotion with the full squad at Eckert's disposal.
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