Jannik Vestergaard looks to be the second Saints player to sign for Leicester City this summer with the news that Saints have agreed a fee for the central defender who has entered the last year of his contract.

A year ago Jannik Vestergaard started the season as 4th choice central defender at St Mary's after the arrival of Mohammed Salisu and there weren't many Saints fans arguing with that ranking.

But circumstances intervened and he got back into the side and for a dozen games or so looked the part.

But you always had the feeling that Ralph Hasenhuttl still didn't see him as the long term option and although the club offered him a new deal, you felt that they weren't doing so with real enthusiasm.

So the news that they have accepted a bid from the Foxes said to be in the region of £15 million si perhaps both welcome and strange, welcome in that it will give Mohammed Salisu, bought a year ago to replace him the chance to show what he can do and strange in that Brendon Rodgers seems to think that having a defence that is made up of 50% of the second worst defence in the Premier League last season might boost his hopes of a Champions League place.

That will be good business for Saints who will almost recoup the fee they paid back in 2018 for a player who has started 69 Premier League games for Saints plus another 3 as sub scoring 4 goals.

Getting in money for Vestrgaard will be a major boost to Saints transfer kitty as they look to improve the squad further.

Photo: Action Images

StEdmund added 08:42 - Aug 12 Tardowski and Ben Mee are in their final year of their contracts at Burnley. Either would be nice if we have the money to splash on an experiences replacement.
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highfield49 added 08:43 - Aug 12 Having just signed Simeu, with his likely progression towards the first team, getting a decent fee for Vestergaard has to be a bonus. Unsurprisingly it's become the norm now for players to be offloaded once they enter the last year of their contract and show no intent to stay with the club. This has to be the biggest clear out of disinterested players in the club's history and quite refreshingly ruthless. Like yourself Nick, I imagine quite a few players will be relishing the opportunity of playing against Bertrand and Vestergaard this season.

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A1079 added 08:43 - Aug 12 You may think it is strange Nick that Brendan Rogers has gained 2 defenders from Saints but in one case one was free and although I do not think Vestergaard is world class by any means he does have some qualities and by todays standards we have sold him quite cheaply. There is one fundamental difference to Leicester over us when it comes to their back line - they have an excellent goalkeeper between the sticks and Schmeichel and Vestergaard play together for Denmark.

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stmichael added 08:46 - Aug 12 Or in the real world the 3rd of 4 key players saints desperately wanted to keep has left the club this summer and the 4th JWP will be the subject of multiple bids next week. Lets see what happens there.
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Billeewithers added 09:21 - Aug 12 Excellent business. He will be fine for the foxes. They have more class players who can cover his inability to jump, turn or run. All to clearly we cannot carry one single player .....everyone must be on board. Well done Rolf and the crew with your outgoings. Much leaner and hungry looking with more to come and surely will be attracting more class and ambition into the club. Clever trick to say we don’t want to lose any of them whilst taking the money anyway. Positive energy abounds.

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IanRC added 09:27 - Aug 12 Surprised the fee isn’t a little higher particularly after the euros. Hope we didn’t just accept the first bid that came in unless we have a good replacement lined up and ready to go.
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SaintPaulVW added 09:35 - Aug 12 He was great for 6 months and bang average to poor for 2 1/2 years. It's best for everyone to cash out if he wants to go in his final year. We need a replacement though so it will be interesting to see who we end up with.
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Flamingbankers added 10:49 - Aug 12 Any player that plays for Denmark has to be no mug. But I think Ralph's formation lends itself to anybody looking like a mug whether its Vestergaard, VVD or Harry Maguire. Brendan Rogers knows this. Prem clubs know that quick counters down the wings, through the centre or a ball over the top makes Saints easy meat. Our goals against speaks for itself. With Ralph's strategy it's hard for any defender to look consistently competent. I only hope Salisu and Simeu prove me wrong because I don't think Ralph will change anything (hence two 9-0's in consecutive seasons).

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lemmsy added 10:50 - Aug 12 Like it billeewithers The only one we wanted to keep was ings,would have liked a bit more for vesteergaard but as previously stated he had 1/2 a good season out of 3& at the start of last season most would have driven him to Leicester. Desperate to keep Bertrand? done a decent job but didn’t look interested last season. If jwp goes then yes it would be devastating but seamen’s has made it crystal how much he means. Overall I think we’ve done well, good price paid for Armstrong & livamento & excellent loans

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felly1 added 11:59 - Aug 12 Very much agree with Flaminbankers. Ralph's tactics expose the defenders and he seems hell bent on continuing with them. Personally I'd play 4 33 and bring in Diallo to play alongside JWP and Orio. We need to be much more solid defensively.
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SanMarco added 16:40 - Aug 12 Only a boost to the 'transfer kitty' if the replacement costs less than 15m. We now await JWP. If he goes it must be for a very large fee, Yes Vesty and Ings had a year left - not the case with JWP.
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Block8 added 18:50 - Aug 12 We will certainly miss his distribution from defence and his threat in the opposition box. The fact that he turns slower than a freight train we not miss! However Ralph has said we'll only be bringing in one more player, this looks like it has to be a CB,. So are we going to continue using Djenepo as second choice LB, I sincerely hope not!We We will have a rather young inexperienced side but I'm so looking forward to being back 😇😇 COYR 💓💓

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KriSaint added 20:29 - Aug 12 Disappointed with Vestergaard tbh. "I like the club and the area as does my family and I want to keep being part of an interesting club philosophy and playing style under a great manager" my *ss...... I wish him bad at Leicester, because I'm p*ssed off. He's my fellow country guy btw.
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ItchenNorth added 20:53 - Aug 12 It doesn't seem like we want to, but we should be spending this money and anything else we have left on signing a decent keeper. This position is key and has needed strengthening at Saints for some time now.
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underweststand added 14:13 - Aug 13 In footballing terms JV doesn't rate in the top 5 of CB's this century, and for someone who isn't interested to stay longer and in his last year I'd say that £15 million represents a good deal for us. Every player has his strengths and JV's are obvious, but interesting to see if his weakness in pace and slow on the turn are also a problem for Leicester's defence.

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