The Saints youngster was on loan at the League One club but returned to St Mary’s in January before going out again, to MK Dons.
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough has hit out at Southampton over their handling of Jake Hesketh.
As reported by the Derby Telegraph, the Premier League outfit priced the Brewers out of a deal to keep the 22-year-old at the Pirelli Stadium beyond the January transfer window.
Hesketh enjoyed a fruitful spell at the League One club, scoring three goals in 23 appearances (Transfermarkt) including the winner in the Carabao Cup quarter-final triumph over Middlesbrough.
The highly rated player was then recalled by the Saints and went on to join League Two promotion chasers MK Dons, who are managed by ex-Southampton ace Paul Tisdale and also have former player Danny Butterfield on their coaching staff.
Clough was left irritated by the Saints’ refusal to allow their player to rejoin the Staffordshire club on identical terms, hinting that he will not benefit from dropping down a league and claiming Southampton wouldn’t have been affected by “a few quid” of difference.
“We said all along that we’d like to keep Jake Hesketh on the same deal,” Clough told the Derby Telegraph. “Southampton wanted something different and wanted a bit of money for him, and unfortunately for Jake, he has ended up stepping down to League Two.
“When you think they get £150m in the Premier League, a few quid for a young player isn’t going to make too much difference for them.”
Clough’s comments were met by some replies on Twitter by Southampton fans, some of whom agreed with him, while others didn’t:
Hesketh has played in the Premier League for Southampton, having made two appearances in the 2014-15 season, and has also turned out in the Europa League for the south coast club.
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