Theo Walcott looks set to join Everton instead of Saints, Arron Sanders looks at the reasons why he has chose Goodison over St Mary's

Southampton look set to miss out on number one transfer target Theo Walcott after the Daily Mirror reported the Arsenal man was due to have medical on Merseyside today ahead of a £20 million move.

The Toffees are believed to have pipped Saints to their ex academy graduate due to their ability to meet his wage demands, It was reported Saints had hoped to bring back to St Mary's and was their number one target for this transfer window.

Saints were confident of landing the England international but with Everton prepared to spend big, it seems their hopes of appear to have been dashed.

It will come as a bitter blow to Les Reed who I am sure would of seen the signing of a former fans favourite, as an ideal way to lift the mood around the club currently.

With boss Mauricio Pellegrino stating in his post match interview on Saturday, that he was hopeful 1 or 2 targets would come in this week it will be interesting to see if anything materialises within the next few days.

We are now day 16 into this window and fans are starting to worry that the vital reinforcements, needed to save the side from relegation are no where to be seen.

Only the AS Monaco striker Carillo appears to be any where near signing at this moment in time, and the club need to make some head way in their negotiations for targets to stop further discontent amongst the fanbase.

How worried are you by the lack of signings so far saints fans? Are you confident the club will succeed in getting them in before the close of the transfer window?

Photo: Action Images

saint_ben added 16:23 - Jan 16 No!!! we wont sign anyone!!!!
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arfurdent added 16:23 - Jan 16 since when have the club been worried about the "customers". Season ticket sales are insignificant compared to the TV revenue
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Jesus_02 added 16:27 - Jan 16 I don't believe that we had any intention of buying him. It would have been the most unlike saints signing ever. Former player, another club interested, little chance of a sell on profit, big wages and the fact that everyone knows who he is are all reasons that we would not buy him.
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Wembley76 added 16:29 - Jan 16 To quote a well known (old) TV ad....... "calm down dear!" Not convinced that (a) Walcott was the 'right deal' (b) 'panic signings' seldom work out. I agree that, yes, some new blood is necessary; but getting in the RIGHT signing is the imperative here. Seem to recall that 'last minute / late winow' shopping included VvD and Sadio Mane....... I rest my case. Knee-jerk is, by definition, for "jerks"

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petedoors1 added 16:33 - Jan 16 I have no confidence in Saints getting anyone in before the close of the transfer window. They have had long enough now to have signed a much needed Striker which should have been signed back in the Summer. It would seem that someone at the top is creaming off the Money. We need at least one new striker if not two to save us from being Relegated.
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LondonSaint added 16:35 - Jan 16 I think we did go in for him judging by Pellegrino's comments about Walcott last week. I'm not sure financially whether it would have made sense but I would've loved him back here. Despite what Arsenal fans say about him I don't think there's any doubt he'd have boosted our chances of survival. p.s. @Wembley76 aren't knee-jerks for knee's?
3

bigrob68 added 16:39 - Jan 16 £20 mil and high wages for Walcott, no thanks.
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A_Saint_in_Stoke added 16:43 - Jan 16 Another nail in the coffin on our slide toward The Championship ...... has anyone got a clue at boardroom level - how low/confused and angry the Saints fanbase is?- if they do, all we get are 2 fingers and the second word is off - fans DO NOT MATTER !!
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sidsaint added 16:59 - Jan 16 We were never going to get Walcott just as we won't get Andy Carroll. English, too expensive and both with suspect injury history. Not in Uncle Less's itinerary. I believe we are going to back MP to try and save Less's blushes, after all that's more important than PL survival, and therefore the only players we are likely to get will be those associated with MP i.e. Carillo and Gaitan. Only a Spurs thrashing on Sunday could change the mindset. It looks like MP, his system and stubbornness, and a very difficult relegation dogfight for the rest of the season. Hang on tight.

3

patred added 17:05 - Jan 16 here we are, halfway through a transfer window where we need a goalscoring forward desperately. And whats on the cards, we are selling one, and our main target has gone to a rival. So we are weakening the squad instead of strengthening it.... Just how long do Kruger and Reed think we can be treated like mugs....
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cornishsaint added 17:10 - Jan 16 We were never going to break the wage structure for Walcott same as Andy Carroll (reeks of desperation) tbh no better than what we have, Gaitan and Kevin germerio are way above what we are looking for, chap from Monaco will be a struggle as wont fancy a relegation fight on a cold wet Tuesday evening. Let’s face it we will be quoted too much for every player because we have some of the vvd money For me change MP now get a CB and hopefully use Gabbi in a improved formation as a no 10 and we might avoid relegation by the skin of our teeth

2

1970 added 17:10 - Jan 16 I agree with (Jesus 02) we had no intention of getting Walcott on a permanent deal and Walcott has no intention of coming to us we pay the least wages in the prem and are in relegation trouble, we should ignore these rumours regarding argentine or France internationals because their image rights wont allow them to play for a team outside the top six side in any league, we may sign a player but it will be just like the Billy sharp situation where the player will wait until the eleventh hour to see what other offers he gets before he signs for saints ,the club are blinkered in there methods and ignorant towards anyone else's opinions booo coyr

2

A1079 added 17:26 - Jan 16 In the current climate at the club and where we are now sitting in the league, I cannot see anyone of any note coming to the club this window that will make an impact. This assumes of course that the club/board have any genuine desire to strengthen the squad in this window and to be honest, I strongly suspect they don't. What bothers me more than Walcott joining or not (as I actually don't mind him not coming) is the potential to lose Gabbiadini who, if he goes, I will feel has been an opportunity missed and for whom we have not given a reasonable chance. The other thing lurking in the background is, where has all the money gone this season? Why were we slow in the close season again and largely ineffective in the market and we have we seemed so ill prepared for this window, given we knew were were struggling, our short-comings and VVD was leaving and why is the board so quiet and so lacking in providing a picture of their intentions? There are more questions than answers these days, but the one thing we seem to be good at, is letting good players go. All of it makes me think that the club are preparing for relegation.

7

sholingred added 17:59 - Jan 16 I think it was a smokescreen so fans thought that's ambitious but in reality we were never going to buy him.We are trying to stay in this league on the cheap.apparenily we don't get tv money like our rivals do,we have to sell a player to generate the funds.thats what it looks like to me.and I'm not a new fan I started watching the team 73/74 season when we got relegated so ive been there in bads times as well as good,but I don't trust the people running the club there only interested in money.

5

pete_boggs added 18:16 - Jan 16 Walcott was never going to come although Reed would have enjoyed any chance to bask in any reflected glory regarding ex acadamy references made. I think we should get Balotelli in who could actually score goals and is in goal scoring form, pay him 200k pw, stick him up the front and light the blue touchpaper (safer than the bathroom).
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ItchenNorth added 18:33 - Jan 16 We were only ever a long shot for Walcott. A convenient story linked to the past. The media ask the question of Pellegrino in a press conference, he's say complimentary things and suddenly some of our fan base get all excited, only to turn it into anger at 'the board's when Walcott goes to a top 10 club that can pay him his 100k weekly wages. Give me a break. It was never going to happen. We don't buy players that a touted in the media. We buy relatively left field, just like our manager appointments!

3

no7saint added 19:08 - Jan 16 I understand some of the reservations but I would have loved to have brought Walcott back. If only to demonstrate we are willing to invest in a player that can help us now but doesn't have the potential of massive resell value, a policy which has been hugely successful with certain players but as we are finding out is dangerous if it is the main criteria applied to every signing. That said with Gabbiadiani going/out of favour and Charlie injured I am confident we will sign someone up front, if only because it would be suicidal not to (imagine Shane Long getting injured!)

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kenis added 19:37 - Jan 16 I think we have to realistic, if we’d got six points from Palce and Watford it might have been different, but players, agents and selling clubs will wait for the best possible deal so once we agree s fee and wages they’ll go to the next club in line and say will you match or better that and that is why we often sign players later in the windows. Only if we are in a strong position in the league, or the only club in town down get deals done quickly (or late if they are hangovers from previous window). We need a Carroll/Pelle like option more than a Walcott type and so hope this Monaco guy fits that mould and we get him for s proceneberyoje can be happy with - £35m reported figure seems too much even in today’s market, unless it’s a loan with option to perm if stay up, then I’d say do it as it’s not worth the risk (Benteke was 30m and not pulling up trees)

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underweststand added 21:21 - Jan 16 of course we will sign players...only problem being the salary levels. For several years past the most I've consistantly read was that Ramirez was highest paid on a reputed 65K / week, although others may have been upgraded to that level since. So what chance do we have of signing a Walcott type player whose salary level starts at 100K. OK you may say, he's top class player and maybe "worth the money" but what would the rest of the squad Think...especially if he didn't score regularly? WHO we might be able to buy isn't governed by how rich your owner is, but by the level of the club's income, and clubs are only able to spend upto x % (?) of that figure. Having all your sqaud on say 40/50/60K /week for x years also creates a commitment that we have to live with for the duration of their contract period. So how much is it costing us to have these highly-paid players on the bench when they haven't scored for months.? It's totally nonsensical to keep players who are off form sitting on the bench every week and still have to pay them high salaries.? We have signed " good-uns" in the past, for relatively low fees ; Lambert, Pelle, Mane, Tadic, VvD - even Bertrand and Cedric have been value for money if they left tomorrow. The misfits ; Redmond, Gabbiadini and Boufal (although he only shines for 45 mins. at a time) sit on the bench and contribute... almost nothing. I 'd say our best solution is to cut our losses and get some more new faces in - can it be any worse.? in this case WORSE is the Championship. Roll on Jan. 31st and see who we have by then .

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davej added 08:40 - Jan 17 Walcott did not want to return to St Marys
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Aussiejosh86 added 11:47 - Jan 17 W should be trying buy klaassen from everton for 14 to 18 mill to play right behind the striker as number 10. Then tadic can go back to the wing. We should also try to iheancho for around the same amount. There both young and can develop further and go up in value.
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