BARCELONASAINT

It really is worth posting the below for all those that keep harping on about Saints not just paying what the selling club wants for players and to just get deals done!! ‘The money isn’t there’ for Southampton after recent seasons Despite returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Southampton find themselves limited on the financial front this summer. Alfie House on X made the financial situation surrounding the club clearer, where he wrote: “Context is important and Russell Martin did say the club can still do something in the transfer market if it’s urgent and they need to (which they do, so they must.) However… “It’s been made clear by leadership all summer that the money isn’t there. £100m spent on mostly rubbish in 2022/23, £100m losses between June 2021-2023 and relegation affecting PSR limits + off-pitch ££ (MSD loan). Sales last summer merely filled the black hole. Southampton signed the likes of Kamaldeen Sulemana, Paul Onuachu and Sekou Mara in the 2022/23 season, all of which have struggled to live up to their hefty price tag. Southampton must make the most of the loan market It’s clear that, unless necessary sales are made for those with very little future at the club, Southampton have very little leverage in dishing out sizable bids for players at this level. They may have to focus on players that may be free for loan, something that will ensure that they get quality additions, bolster their squad depth and improve their financial deficit with fees being very low in comparison to permanent deals.

Broke through at Barcelona and did very well before being snapped up by Chelsea. I would not be against this if there was any truth to the report. He is a pure centre forward, a classic '9', a specialist in the area who lives from his physical power. His best virtue is his aerial play. Marc is also very quick and powerful, he is unstoppable with space.

this Danish bloke!!!.......can i just ask if you have actually watched O'Riley play? There are quite a few including myself that tend to watch Celtic games and have seen how much O'Riley stands out in the Scottish league. He is without doubt currently the best player in the Scottish league and i have no doubt would improve our side hugely.

cam Martin not tell him when we play that it's a training session really!....Maybe the useless twat will play like a beast in a real game where it matters then!

I can't quite work out if you are taking the piss or not!

that was an awful miss by Edozie

The following report does not sound good!! Southampton will face stern competition from Serie A club Atalanta for O’Riley this summer, according to Romano. The journalist claims the Celtic midfielder is eager to join the Europa League winners and there is a strong possibility a deal could be completed in the coming days. Atalanta have already bolstered their midfield ranks with the addition of 24-year-old Davide Frattesi from Sassuolo. However, with the futures of Teun Koopmeiners and Ederson up in the air due to interest from Europe's top clubs, they appear eager to make further additions as they gear up for Champions League football next season. Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “The player is keen on a potential move to Atalanta. I think there is a concrete possibility for this deal to happen. Again, it’s difficult, but there are still negotiations and there’s a possibility it could happen in the next few days.”

I try to be optimistic about any signings we make believing the management know what they are doing.......however i am really struggling to understand either signing and what either player could bring to Saints. I really would love to know who scouted these two and what the report said.....lets face it it would have been a miracle that any scout actually saw Juan score a goal given his horrendous record!

i've watched him play numerous times for Celtic, he is absolutely the class act up in Scotland. There were 2 players i wanted Saints to be interested in at the end of the season, one was Clark at Sunderland and the other O'Reily from Celtic. Yes the Scottish league is awful but O'Reily really stood out, so much so i'm gobsmacked bigger teams than us have not already come in for him.

Honestly some on here need a reality check and need to consider what it is that we want as supporters? The reality was last season we had been relegated, we had sold a hell of a lot of the top players we had BUT were very fortunate enough to still have a squad strong enough to be one of the favourites for promotion. Lets not fool ourselves how hugely important financially to the club winning promotion was. That in itself put huge pressure on the management team to get us promoted at the first time of asking......failure to do so would have meant "we would now be looking at a team of youngsters because thats all that would be likely be left" Was last season the time to experiment and give youth a chance, some might say yes but it wasn't your job in the balance! We needed as much experience as possible to get out of the Championship the first time of asking. It was not the season to be experimenting with youngsters....at least not in the league. Some were blooded in the Cup and some looked fairly decent but it would have been a massive gamble to have been relying on these kids in the league. Lets be completely honest here......no promotion would have been absolutely catastrophic for Southampton.

I quite often watch Celtics games as i have a soft spot for them and can honestly say O'Reily is the standout player in all the games i have seen of theirs. He has a great eye for goal, his passing is excellent and he has a really good engine on him. He is the one player in Scotland i was really hoping we might go for. To be honest i would be surprised but delighted if we beat other teams to him. He could be the next Wanyama, Telfor or Van Dick......obviously he could also flop and flatter to deceive

Sounds like the "Big Brother house" only its the new kit getting voted out!

That is a lovely looking kit and i can't wait to spend my hard earned cash, so much so i'm already stood outside the club store so i'm first in what i anticipate to be a very long queue to get this eye catching creativity!

nice goal by Danny Ings, direct freekick

https://sportwitness.co.uk/martin-braithwaite-everton-southampton-leicester/ I would not be against this purely based on watching him play for Barcelona. I was staggered when Barca signed him, it just wasn't a Barca signing, however Braithwaite gave his absolute all for Barcelona when he played and scored some very important goals. My one reservation is La Liga is not the Premiership and he won't get the time and space playing in La Liga gives you.

He speaks better English than most English people

Unfortunately i can only see one winner. Spain have been the best side in this tournament without a shadow of doubt and totally deserve their place in the final. England have played some good football in patches but overall it's been like pulling teeth watching England play and so frustrating given the quality we possess in the side. For 45 minutes we were excellent against the Dutch and then the second half we just got deeper and deeper. If we do that against Spain we will lose. England play like a team burdened by the failures of every England team since 1966, whereas Spain play with a free flowing confidence of a side that believes every time they walk out onto the pitch they will win. Like every other England fan i am desperate to see them win a major tournament but to do that they must not let Spain get into that comfortable mode and pulling England all over the place. I really hope it is Englands turn to win tonight, their supporters deserve to see that happen.

Found this article and Liverpool seem like they were sniffing around last season and the fee would have been in the region of £17 million. I think Saints have potentially done a shrewd bit of business here. Liverpool are interested in right back Yukinari Sugawara, Anfield Watch understands. The 23-year-old is a six-cap Japan international, currently playing for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. Suguwara, a versatile operator who has also featured at right wing and even at centre back, is viewed by Liverpool as a player who could potentially shadow Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Nagoya Grampus star, who moved to Europe back in 2019, has less than two years remaining on his current contract at AZ and could be available for as little as €20m (£17m). Focussing instead on their much-discussed midfield rebuild, Liverpool did not sign any defensive cover for the first-team squad during the summer transfer window. However, it has been widely reported that the area remains a priority to strengthen in upcoming windows. With Calvin Ramsay heading out on loan to Preston North End for the 2023/24 season, 20-year-old Conor Bradley had been expected to step in as Alexander-Arnold's right back understudy, but a reported stress fracture to his back means he is unlikely to be available until at least November. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk's two-match suspension and Ibrahima Konate's latest injury have brought concerns to the fore about the Reds' lack of depth across the backline. Suguwara made 47 appearances in all competitions for AZ in 2022/23 and was a regular as his side made it to the Europa Conference League semi finals before being eliminated by West Ham. He scored three times and registered eight assists in last season's Eredivisie, while he has one assist to his name so far in 2023/24.

The defence looks pretty much sorted, we just need to strengthen everywhere else now!

I don't believe a word about the Danny Ings links, it's pure lazy journalism and an agent trying to get himself another pay day. Delap we are supposed to have been interested in for well over a year and i do believe we want him. IF it's true that both Ipswich and us have agreed City's release fee then i would be very disappointed if Delap choose them over us. Surely we can match or even better what Ipswich are willing to pay in wages? I think Delap could be a very good striker given the chance.

This time of the year is always completely mad with players agents making up bullshit stories and journalists only too happy to print complete crap. IF we are/were interested in Welington AND REALLY WANTED HIM, then there is no way Torino are guzzumping us. We would cough up the relatively small fee Torino are allegedly forking out and the wages we would offer would be far greater than Torino could offer. If he doesn't end up hear it's because it was all complete bollocks in the first place!

when i look at that list I reckon we are, we could or should be in for 8 of those players! WELLINGTON - we already are in for him YUKINARI - Ditto FLYNN - Ditto O'RILEY - We should be FRASER - we already are CLARKE - We should be DELAP - We could be JERONIMO - We are already MIOVSKI - We could be Thats a lot of players, but thankfully we are or have got rid of some dead wood already.

Anyone thinking Romeu could still cut it in the Premiership think again! It was a huge mistake Barca signing him and the manager admitted as much. I absolutely loved watching Romeu in the Barca shirt after having seen him in our Saints team for so many wonderful years.....however it was painfully clear time had caught up with him. The Spanish league is no where near as fast and brutal as the Premiership and Romeu has struggled in the last season. After initially being a starter he quickly found his playing time limited. Hojbjerg I would take back, he can still cut it JWP in a heart beat yes Reid, real grafter, i can see why he might be considered Redmond......please NO!

I see some media outlets are reporting Wolves have pulled out of the "race" to sign Che now they have signed some Norwegian striker. Looks like Everton are the only other side mildly interested in him. I really hope we don't still have an offer on the table for him. I don't want a player here who has only renewed his contract because he couldn't get an offer anywhere else.

I must admit I am finding our current transfer policy refreshing. Gone are the days of buying unknown foreign players who might be the next big thing and welcome to buying predominantly British players that either know the Premiership or RM believes can make the step up from the Championship or the Scottish league. We need mentally tough players as well as grafters and the odd flair player that will complement the side. Goodbye ABK, Sully, Alcaraz, Mara, Tall Paul ABK made of glass and attitude stinks Sully absolute waste of money, only a great player in his own head Alcaraz has the potential to be very good in Europe but not in the Premiership Mara is lazy and no signs he will ever make it in England Tall Paul just not a Premiership player