At least Southampton can say they were not the only ones.
Seko Fofana, some five years after a short-lived spell at Fulham, blossomed into one of Europe’s most complete central midfielders back home in France.
If the Cottagers could roll back the clock, knowing what they know now, they surely would make more of an effort to turn Fofana’s loan deal into a permanent transfer; the Paris-born dynamo now valued at £35 million and in ‘incredible’ form at the heart of Lens’ midfield.
Fofana, however, is not the only member of this Lens squad with English football experience on his CV. Brice Samba has taken his game to a whole new level since those penalty shoot-out heroics for Nottingham Forest. Ex-Newcastle left-back Massadio Haidara, meanwhile, continues to put those devastating injuries behind him.
As for Kevin Danso? Well, its safe to assume that, if Southampton realised what the future had in store for the rangy Austria international, they would have wasted little time in exercising the £3 million option-to-buy clause in his contract.
Kevin Danso could have joined Southampton for just £3m
At the time, few on the South Coast mourned Danso’s departure when the young defender returned to parent club Augsburg after just 10 largely underwhelming appearances under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Danso was sent off on just his second appearance for the Saints. In the third, he was hooked at half-time during a 3-1 derby defeat to Bournemouth. With the benefit of hindsight, however, perhaps we were all a little guilty of writing off the then-20-year-old too soon. Particularly when you consider that he was never handed a run of games in his favoured centre-half role.
“When you are playing out of position (at right-back), it all adds up to things not going your way,” Danso told The Athletic. “I wanted it to work out. But, when you play out of position, you maybe need the extra focus that I didn’t have. I should have concentrated more and read the game more.
One of Danso’s greatest attributes is his ability to identify his weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Now 24, and a fixture at the heart of Lens’ Champions League-chasing backline, Danso has used that disappointing Southampton spell as fuel, lighting a fire under a man rapidly blossoming into one of Europe’s finest.
‘One of the best in Europe’
“Kevin is our boss,” Lens coach Franck Haise tells Laola1. “He gives commands, he directs his teammates with a lot of vigour and passion. He is a leader by nature. This role suits him wonderfully, and he fulfils it with much enthusiasm.
“Kevin is a top professional. Every day in training, he is very serious.
“Kevin is now one of the best central defenders in Ligue 1, but also in Europe. He has developed into a complete defender who is not only strong in the air but also has good technique with few mistakes in his build-up play and very clean passing.”
Danso, according to reports, wil cost around £35 million these days; the one-time Reading youngster refusing to rule out another stab at the Premier League with Newcastle United (Kicker). Eddie Howe’s side have conceded just 15 goals this term; 25 fewer than bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
And the irony is that Danso, who played fewer than 300 top-flight minutes for the Saints, would probably walk into Southampton’s XI these days. In his preferred position, too.
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