Some 12 months ago, Ralph Hasenhuttl had a few words of warning for Southampton supporters hoping for a marquee signing or two in the summer of 2021.
“The players we want to sign are very seldom players in the £20million or £30m (bracket),” the Saints boss told the Daily Echo.
“We are looking for players around the £10m. Or even lower if possible.”
The eagle-eyed among you may point out that, in Adam Armstrong, Southampton did sign a player in excess of £10 million last year. It must be said, however, that the arrival of former Blackburn Rovers striker was funded by Danny Ings’ £30 million move to Aston Villa.
If Ings hadn’t gone first – just four days earlier – it’s hard to imagine Southampton stumping up an eight-figure sum for one of the EFL’s most coveted talents.
Flash forward to the summer of 2022. And, while Dragan Solak’s takeover is not going to turn the Saints into the South Coast’s answer to Newcastle United, the expectation is that Southampton are going to be a little bit more ambitious going forward.
“Hopefully, with the increasing (financial) support that we would like to give him (Hasenhuttl) he should be able to develop it into a top ten team,” the Serbian billionaire tells The Guardian.
From Lidl to, if not Waitrose, then certainly Sainsburys.
West Ham want Tete
But that is all well and good. The problem is that, when throwing your hat into the name for more expensive, coveted footballers such as Taiwo Awoniyi, Chukwubuike Adamu and Brazil international Pedro, you’re going to run into your fair share of competition. Competition from clubs who, with all due respect, are better placed than Southampton to attract talent of this level.
Take Tete for instance.
Southampton’s interest in the Shakhtar Donestk winger – they entered advanced talks before he joined Lyon on a short-term loan deal – appeared to signal something of a sea change. A reflection of the club’s new-found ambition in the transfer market.
Can Southampton still land Tete?
According to talkSPORT, however, West Ham are already planning a summer swoop for a £17 million-rated attacker who caused David Moyes’ backline no end of problems during the Europa League quarter-finals last month.
“Tete is a special player,” says Lyon coach Peter Bosz.
“I have known him for a long time. I was surprised to see that a player like Tete was signed by OL. Normally, this kind of player is unattainable for OL.”
Southampton appear to be limping towards their fifth successive bottom-half finish. West Ham, meanwhile, are 90 minutes away from a Europa League final. They could still end up playing Champions League football next season.
- How Rangers’ XI could look in 22/23, including 5 new signings
- How West Ham’s XI could look in 22/23 with 4 new signings
In short, West Ham can offer opportunities to the likes of Tete that remain beyond the Saints at present.
Southampton’s interest in players such as Tete is an exciting sign of things to come. But targeting those players is one thing. Convincing them to choose the Saints over other, high-flying Premier League clubs could be the biggest challenge facing Solak and Hasenhuttl as they endeavour to take Southampton to a whole new level.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
