After guiding Southampton back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, Russell Martin looks set to be rewarded with a slew of fresh faces this summer.
The Saints mean business this summer
Following their dramatic playoff final victory back in May, Southampton have wasted no time using their newfound windfall to get numerous players through the door at St Mary's.
Southampton to make new offer for "phenomenal" £14k-a-week star this week
Russell Martin isn’t messing around.
ByHenry JacksonJul 30, 2024
Whilst a dozen players have made the move to the South Coast so far this summer, the standout pieces of business have seen the Saints tie down a number of last season's loan stars on permanent deals. The first day of the transfer window saw Southampton sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis in a £20 million move from Premier League champions Manchester City.
The 22-year-old was a pivotal part of the Saints' promotion story, featuring for Martin's side on 46 occasions in all competitions last term. Another loanee that Southampton have managed to seal a permanent transfer for is Flynn Downes. Like Harwood-Bellis, the midfielder was the backbone of the Saints' side last season and will no doubt have a part to play in the coming campaign.
Southampton have also now completed the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal – a rumoured £7 million fee has been agreed for the Chilean attacker. With the Saints' summer business showing no signs of slowing down, it appears that the club are now interesting in signing a highly-rated young talent eager for a move away during the transfer window.
Southampton keen on Dortmund youngster
As first reported on the X account of Sky Sports journalist Patrick Berger and later relayed by Sport Witness, Southampton are chasing a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko. The outlet claims that the striker is eager to move away from Germany this summer with Girona, Real Betis, Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Stade Rennais joining the Saints in the race for the 19-year-old.
After playing just 613 minutes at Dortmund last term, Moukoko wants to move somewhere that can offer him more regular game time going forward. Whilst it is not yet known as to whether a deal for the striker will materialise as a permanent move or a loan, it appears almost certain that the German will be plying his trade away from the Signal Iduna Park next season.
Despite his recent struggles at club level, Moukoko was once regarded as one of the game's brightest talents owing to his exploits at youth level. With 137 goals in 81 games for Dortmund's under 17s and under 19s sides, the player quickly become one of the hottest prospects in Europe.
Whilst his career has not yet lived up to this initial hype, Moukoko is still highly regarded, with his former Dortmund teammate Jude Bellingham waxing lyrical about the player: "I think he's a really good talent, really promising talent. I think if you meet the boy as well, an excellent boy – very humble, he's got his feet firmly on the ground, which is the most important thing for a young player."
With Martin and Co still on the lookout for attacking talents, bringing Moukoko to St Mary's could be a major coup for the Premier League new-boys.