CSA96

Ryan Manning said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be here. I'm over the moon and I can't wait to get started. It's a massive club, been in the Premier League for so many years, and I'm just excited about the challenge of getting it back there. "With the gaffer coming here, knowing his style of football and how he wants his team to play, it felt like a perfect fit for me where the club and the manager lined up. "You're coming to a Premier League football club that's in the Championship, so the ambition is promotion and nothing else, and that's exactly what I was looking for as the next move in my career. I think it's the perfect club for me to come to, the ambition is massive and everyone as a collective is working towards getting back to the Premier League."

Southampton manager Russell Martin said: "Firstly, he's a brilliant character. He's got a real edge to him. He's got a fantastic personality, a lot of energy and was a really important member of our group at Swansea, not just on the pitch but off it as well. "In terms of on the pitch, he's an outstanding footballer who has a brilliant understanding of what we want. He played in a few positions for us previously, and he's coming here as a left-back because he ended up performing as one of the best left-backs in the division last year. "We've beaten competition from two clubs in the Premier League for him, which I'm really pleased about, because I thought the lure of that would make it difficult for us, but he's come here because he knows the work and he believes in it."

Leeds forums/Twitter are worth a look right now. He was meant to be their next LB!

Swansea buying a new striker...

A five-year deal from 2021 to 2026. https://www.hummel.co.uk/hummel-signs-southampton.html

Such as... Matt Grimes - just over 250 Championship games, 27 years old, Martin's former captain so knows the system. Quite whether we can twist Swansea's arm is another question.

MLG, is that your burner?

Yeah, fair.

Unless our goalkeeper was playing rush goalie and could stick at least 10 goals in across the season, I’m not sure it would’ve saved us to be fair.

I would get him back just to sort out the dressing room culture and provide some leadership. Given he played 33 games for a club like Lille last season, feels like quite a drop but pretty sure his family never moved away from their home in England, so maybe he’s keen for that reason too

Very true, different times at Coventry now. Just about to cash in by selling Gyokeres to Sporting for £20.5m with a sell-on clause, I think. Tidy sale for them.

Classic YouTube video disclaimer but... looks good. Seems quite happy to be combative. We need that, especially from a larger lad. If we sold JWP, Lavia and Diallo and ended up with Charles, Grimes, Downes (even on loan) and Alcaraz all here by the time the window shuts, that's a very nice midfield group on paper.

He’s spoken very highly of Martin before: https://www.swanseacity.com/news/flynn-downes-i-faced-russell-martin-side-and-knew-i-wanted-play-him

‘Southampton are desperate to sign Flynn Downes, who has made little impact since joining West Ham last summer.’ - Jacob Steinberg, West Ham correspondent for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jul/06/david-moyes-loses-second-west-ham-coach-paul-nevin-strasbourg-patrick-vieira

L’Equipe reporting that Monaco are now in contact with Saints about Armel Bella-Kotchap

I had heard there was a chance we may be playing against him next season, as Birmingham had reached out

Even if Tino stays, it's probably wise to have a third RB in the squad with his recent injury record. I assume Abu will start for the B team and be in and around Martin's group and be given some opportunities in cup games etc.

I suspect Grimes might be the right answer, maybe with Stephens as a vice-captain. (assuming he's unlikely to go to AFCB with Gary O'Neil gone)