Saints could lose as many as 15 players in this transfer window, but with the Championship season only 3 weeks away, they need all these so called big clubs to put their money where their mouths are and actually put some serious bids in.

Russell Martin knows that he is going to lose a large chunk of his squad this transfer window, relegation means that many of those whose underperformance led to our downfall, are now keen to leave the club and play in the division that they feel is their God given right to grace.

That is the Premier League, although some showed that they don't realise that it is hard work and application that keeps you there.

The agents have been bust these last few weeks and the rumours are flying thick and fast, but if Liverpool are so desperate to get Romeo Lavia, Newcastle keen on Tino Livramento and various clubs interested in Salisu & Bella Kotchap, then why are they not putting their money where their mouths are and actually making a serious attempt to sign our fallen heroes ?

The problem for Saints is not that players will be sold, it is they want them sold now so they can rebuild the squad.

I would like to think that we would set a deadline for a player to leave, that we would tell those that want to leave , that they do so before the start of the Championship season or the club will not entertain any further offers until the January transfer window.

Of course it doesn't quite work like that these days, the players and the agents call the shots and back in 2017 we had perhaps one of our first experiences of that when first Jose Fonte forced a move in the January only a year after signing a long term deal and then 6 months a year later when Virgil Van Dyke showed that even when a club insists that you stay and honour your contract, that it isn't necessarily the best outcome for them.

So in the meantime we read of how West Ham are about to show that they are one of the big boys by launching a bid for James Ward Prowse, only problem is that they aren't, although i'm sure that the agents are talking, it seems that the Hammers are keen on Ward Prowse, but their starting offer is £20 million, that should tell JWP something about how serious they are.

But it is Saints who suffer, our summer sale could bring in £200 million, we only need to spent about £50 million of that to add the players we need to get us in the Promotion frame, but until we sell we haven't got it.

It is my understanding that Dragan Solvak personally put up the money to sign Shea Charles from Manchester City, but that will be a temporary measure to ease cash flow and enable us to make the signing, but is he willing to put up the remaining £35 million.

We need to know who is staying and who is going so we can make the signings in the areas we are going to be short, those who are coming in also want to know that they will be getting a place in the starting line up and not on the bench because one of last season's stars has not proved as popular as his agent told him he is.

It will be a shame to see so many leave, but this period of uncertainty is not good, far better to get rid of those that want to go and get on with the job of rebuilding.

As I said ideally we would set a deadline, but the fact is clubs relegated from the Premier League need to get money off the wage bill and therefore the Championship season could be going almost a month before we see some players leave and that is not good.

Photo: Action Images

wessexman added 08:00 - Jul 14 As you say, many of these so called stars now desperate to get away underperformed. They also showed very little stomach for a scrap. Guts, application and fight are much needed assets in the division we now find ourselves in. The club now find themselves in an ever increasing problem. Holding out for a certain amount of money is one thing but, every club in the Prem knows we need to sell to rebuild, every club also knows that the team, as a collective has no heart. JWP was the captain during the disastrous relegation season.... With the Wednesday game drawing ever closer, vital time is being lost. With games coming thick and fast after the trip to Sheffield, we are in severe danger of losing vital momentum in our quest for promotion.

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Jesus_02 added 09:03 - Jul 14 The buying clubs are not desperate to sell. They will wait as long as possible to get the best deal. assuming we ARE desperate to get the like of JWP off of the wage bill. The situation is though that the likes of Lavia and Tina are not on massive contracts. This is why RM has hinted that we will start the season with players that may not Finnish it.
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A1079 added 09:09 - Jul 14 I agree with your sentiments Nick. It is difficult because the PL so called big boys tend to dictate what happens on and off the pitch but we need to think of ourselves as a club. I note West Ham have expressed discontent with Arsenal over the Declan Rice situation and the time it is taking them to close the deal and that may be dictating the pace of West Ham making their own offers - not that I have any sympathy with West Ham - far from it. We do almost want to try and set deadlines because our season starts earlier and we really do need to know who is staying or going. If we have to wait until the end of the transfer window several important games have passed without a settled squad and our manager knowing who is or who isn't committed to the fight - because that is what it will be - a fight. In the Championship you need players that don't just play pretty football but ready to roll up their sleeves and scrap - too many of our players were clearly not up for that last season.

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Monksway added 09:23 - Jul 14 I think we can write off the first two months of the season in terms of a consistent team selection. It's always the same for relegated sides that had multiple managers, bloated squads and panic buys in January. There are some players of value that other teams want to buy cheaply and some we will need off the wage bill and to free up squad space. It won't get done until deadline day after which RM will need to construct a competitive team with what remains.

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Block8 added 10:22 - Jul 14 I would think Southampton know & have had discussions with who is or wants to leave. There is also little doubt that we have had offers, inevitably for a lot less than we want, we've been relegated and the big boys expect bargains. Given that scenario we should not include the want aways (the ones we are sure will go) in the upcoming friendlies & concentrate on getting the basis of our remaining team match fit & tactically aware of the new systems. Not ideal but it does send a message both inside & outside of the club!

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A1079 added 11:12 - Jul 14 Completely agree Block8. Focus on using the players that we know are staying and whose head, arms and legs etc will be ready for the fight for Southampton FC and not be thinking or dreaming of a time elsewhere.
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saintmark1976 added 11:43 - Jul 14 Could it simply be that after our players being so totally pathetic last season the so called “ Big Clubs” don’t like what they see at the prices we are asking? Aside of Lavia who undoubtedly is a class act what have we got to offer? J W P is coming to the end of his career. Tino hasn’t yet proven that after a serious injury he can once again compete in the Premiership and K W P’s form was nothing special last term. Salisu has it’s suggested an attitude problem and Bella Kotchap a persistent shoulder injury. The remaining players have found their level which is Championship at best and I suspect that a good few of those mentioned above will be playing with them in 2023/24.

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kenchilds70 added 11:47 - Jul 14 In agrrement with Block8. The club must know the want aways so my thought would be put a price on their heads and tell them they wont be first team sqaud players. Select the squad from those who want to play for their shirt, not the cash or the glory. The only use those players would be it to give extra competition to our B team. Then we the fans , the boss, and the club can concentrate effort on those that believe in the Southampton way. A warning to players who think they are bigger than the club....internationals dont play in club B teams, career is built on successes!

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SaintPaulVW added 12:10 - Jul 14 It's basically a fire sale. With the amount of data and staff, virtually all PL clubs are going to see that our squad is too large for the EFL. So are going to wait. We need to slim our squad and unless there are several clubs interested we aren't in a strong position. As time ticks on it weakens further. Our players didn't cover themselves in glory last year. There are a few with good PL experience that might be attractive, - posdibly to newly promoted sides- JWP, CA, KWP and a few with great potential RL, CA, TL, NT, and ABK. Not too sure who else is really going to provoke much interest which is what would get their price up. A few players will drift overseas but wages will be an issue in any deal so the transfer fee will have to reflect this. I expect a long drawn out summer of pain. As we all know, the fall out from relegation is never easy as Sports Republic are about to experience. I think we need to lose 10 senior players and 3 have gone already - Orsic, Walcott and Eli - So 7 more to follow. There are going to be a 'few daggers through the heart' decisions on who is leaving/for how much in there too.

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underweststand added 13:13 - Jul 14 Bearing in mind those who had already left, I think 15 might be an underestimate (Nick). Clearly some clubs think that relegated sides are desperate for cash and will let players go at any price. The SR Board has shown that they will play hardball with anyone trying to cash in with a cheap offer, but we should remind ourselves that not everything need be sorted by 4th Aug. as the final date in Sept. 1st and those who have a proper pre-season at Staplewood will undoubtedly look a lot sharper by then. RM will have a rough idea of his first choice side + bench, and he may use the following weeks to "showcase" a few players who are on the way out, and give them some game time for clubs to look at them again before decisions. I expect to see more moves in the last week of August rather than the end of this month. Players who have a Prem. background will want to stay in the top tier, and international players know they won't get may more caps - if they are stuck in the Championship. This is a good time to see a generational change, as we must all admit that although some individuals showed up well last season, as a team we were pretty pathetic at times. Even if we had survived, I don't see that we would have improved much more with the same personnel for yet another season.

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highfield49 added 14:23 - Jul 14 Although there are several players likely to move on permanent transfers let's not forget that sending some surplus players out on loan moves might also be advantageous. A loan with a transfer clause attached is possibly more beneficial than just waiting for deadline day to arrive. I have no idea how the manager is supposed to give game time to those who want to be elsewhere, it can only be hoped that there are no disruptive influences around the developing team.

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underweststand added 11:49 - Jul 15 a postscript to the above (from saintmark 1976). I can't agree that JWP is " coming to the end of his career ". He has been remarkably fortunate to avoid major injury in a career of over 350 games, and has clocked up more mileage than any other Prem. in the last 2 seasons. A move to " the right club" where he can remake himself might augur an extended career (as has been seen with Ashley Young and James Milner) who have already played around 10 years longer than Prowsey. Aside from whatever skill, or talent we credit him with, JWP is surely one of the fittest player in the game, and might well continue a lot longer than any of us thinks.

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saintmark1976 added 13:50 - Jul 15 Good point underweststand and from J W P’s point of view I hope what you say is correct. However, for every player that goes on playing in the top flight past their early thirties there are literally hundreds that don’t, even given the recent advances in medical science. Like yourself I hope that J W P leaves to better himself because he and Lavia are the only two players from last season’s shambles who justify another crack at The Premiership.

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Saintaxidriver added 19:48 - Jul 16 JWP coming to the end of his career? He is 28 and age Don Revie thought was the peak for combining fitness with experience. The fact that his game isn't based on pace, I could see him in the Premier League till he's 35. On the transfers front I just think you pick your best team for each game from the players available and if someone doesn't want to play then they are unprofessional and should be called out in public. Some of these overpaid tw...ts should get a kick up the arse and told to do what they are paid for. Then if we are offered a fair amount fine ship em out!

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