Heading into last summer’s transfer window, Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted to The Echo that the South Coast club were targeting players valued at a maximum of £10 million.
The Saints have ambitious new owners these days following Dragan Slovak’s £100 million takeover but, in reality, little has changed.
If it came down to a two-horse race between Southampton and Newcastle United, Hasenhuttl would be choking on Eddie Howe’s dust, stumbling out of the starting blocks as their nouveau-riche rivals galloped towards the finishing line.
Following their own mega-money takeover – goodbye Mike Ashley, hello Saudi Arabian billionaires – Newcastle have pockets deeper than most.
Southampton supporters could only dream of the sort of financial muscle Newcastle are now capable of flexing.
Reports suggesting that the minted Magpies have made a £33.5 million bid for Armando Broja, then, have many on banks of the Solent fearing that history could be about to repeat itself (TMW).
Will Armando Broja join Newcastle instead of Southampton?
Toby Alderweireld shone during a loan spell at Southampton from Atletico Madrid in 2014/15.
The Belgian international even told manager Ronald Koeman that he was happy to stay.
Southampton had an agreement, too, that Alderweireld could sign on the dotted line for just shy of £7 million.
Atletico allowed the deadline to pass, however, and instead sold Alderweireld to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee £5 million larger than the one Southampton were set to pay (Sky).
This time around, Southampton are arguably in a weaker position now than they were seven years ago. There is no option-to-buy clause in the contract Broja signed when joining on loan from Chelsea in the summer.
Southampton are expected to offer £25 million for Broja (Fabrizio Romano).
But unless they first cash in on a James Ward-Prowse or a Kyle Walker-Peters, it’s hard to imagine Southampton matching – let alone outbidding – the richest club in the world right now.
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