Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Hello and welcome back once again to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg. Flying solo today without Zach for episode 487 because Zach is enjoying some...
DailySaintsPod: Well -deserved time off. It's transfer Thursday. It's everybody's favorite day of the week and if in an my best effort to avoid what happened to us the other week where we recorded just one day ahead of time and managed to miss the most action -packed day of transfer news we'd seen in weeks.
DailySaintsPod: I am recording this as late as possible. In fact, it is very nearly midnight at the time of recording. So not only do you get to enjoy the most breaking, the most current, the most up -to -date transfer news available, you also get to enjoy me in a minor state of delirium at this time of night.
DailySaintsPod: uh But look. Plenty. to talk about today, so I am just going to get straight into it. I'm going to start with the outs because it is a longer list.
DailySaintsPod: If we're being frank and being honest. Do no surprise of anyone. and It's been a busy week. It's been... uh a bit crazy so look i'm gonna start working through it and go from there So look, the big name, we've talked about a bit on the show. to to this point.
DailySaintsPod: Taylor Harwood -Bellis. It's been on, it's been off. It's been on again. It's been off again. that We saw him left out of the squad on Saturday after a bit of...
DailySaintsPod: 20 million plus add -ons was reportedly rejected by Southampton. uh It looks like it's back on again now. Uh, Villa were lining up a move for another centre -back that Crystal Palace seemed to have hijacked. The valuation apparently wasn't that far away.
DailySaintsPod: The way this one's been going on, it feels... To me. you know as we pay close attention to these transfer windows to me it feels like one of these transfers that It is inevitable, it is going to happen, whether it's tomorrow or close to the end of the transfer window where...
DailySaintsPod: one of the teams decides to step in on their compromise. It's it's going to happen. and resigned to it at this point. And it's a shame. But i yeah we talked about it on the show, on so on the review of the Stoke game.
DailySaintsPod: there's no hard feelings for a player taking an opportunity like this, stepping up into the Premier League and stepping up into the Champions League is is a big opportunity. Villarreal...
DailySaintsPod: you know A big club. So... you can't You can't begrudge that. It is a shame because... I see a lot of qualities in Howard Bellis that make him...
DailySaintsPod: Very excellent future captain material. And we've talked about that. on the show but It is a shame, but no no hard feelings towards it.
DailySaintsPod: for that decision. Such is the way. Next. on the list. an official out.
DailySaintsPod: as Moses Cisse from the Academy has gone out on loan to Colchester. That's a move that makes sense. He's a player who was at the start of i think it was last season you know in the pre -season got a couple of games and couple of starts and Looked like he might be breaking his way in towards the first team, and it's not quite how that panned out. but
DailySaintsPod: you know he's one of these academy prospects at the stage of the career where the important thing is first team football and dropping down. a league to get that with Colchester.
DailySaintsPod: It's a fantastic way to do that. And hopefully that's a move that just benefits everyone. Hopefully he has a fantastic season. improves in himself, Colchester get the best from it. And then at the end of the season, we get back a player with another year of experience and a fresh handful of confidence. I mean, we've so we've seen that recently.
DailySaintsPod: from Shay Charles, who was on loan. the year before last and came back and was one of our best players last season So yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Uh... Interesting one. Hope he does well out on loan. Right, a huge list now. of... Uh... speculation and rumors relating to players that We... probably fully expect.
DailySaintsPod: to to be on this list and potentially expect to have moved on in this window. So I'm going to fire through them. and go through the the most recent news stories I can find and and go through it. So Damien Downs.
DailySaintsPod: Saints are said to be asking in the region of £9 million pound for Damien Downs. He's apparently drawing interest from two MLS teams. which were unnamed up until a news article I found from a couple of days ago that mentioned one of them is the Seattle Sounders, who were potentially interested in pursuing a move for him.
DailySaintsPod: Obviously... Uh... you know a trip back home for him i guess is what he is potentially the attraction there when you know it's no secret that he wanted to get back into the the u .s men's national team and the makeup of the the things that come with that or the youth version of that and moving up into the men's team so perhaps going back to America is the way to do that.
DailySaintsPod: think that there are a lot of... contributing factors as to why Things didn't work out for Damien Downs here. and we've talked about them I think at length in the past.
DailySaintsPod: you know, not really being the profile of player we thought we were signing, kind of being closer to a Cameron Archer than a Kyle Lahren. kind of thing. Not really.
DailySaintsPod: playing the style of football that suits him when he... was played and just You know, maybe an unreasonable amount of pressure to put on such a young player when you know he was only being able to pick up.
DailySaintsPod: bits and bobs of minutes here and there. being brought into games where those minutes were crucial and what we needed were a goal. and what he needed was a goal to boost his confidence. and And had in any of those minutes he managed to accidentally score one, we might have been talking.
DailySaintsPod: of about uh like a hugely successful campaign for us right because that bit of confidence could have been all it takes. look I still think there's potential of a very decent player in there from what I see of him when I've seen him play, his movement.
DailySaintsPod: Looks hugely promising for a striker. And I think that he had the potential to do well. Obviously, he didn't do very well on his low move last year. But again, when you're so beat down... with confidence it's a very hard place to pull yourself out of and yeah Maybe a move back closer to home is is one of those things where he will...
DailySaintsPod: become a bit more comfortable settle in find that confidence and go on to do uh better things but I think it's it's probably right that... He's not gonna be getting any opportunities here that are any less.
DailySaintsPod: full of pressure worse than what he got last year. so I think it's probably fair enough to call time. on that one and and part ways.
DailySaintsPod: Next on the list... Yukonari Sugawara has reportedly drawn lots of interest. It's a really fascinating story because For the rest of the window we...
DailySaintsPod: Kind of thought, oh yeah, he'll probably go, and then... he played a few games in freezes and we're like oh maybe he won't go maybe he'll stay and we'll have this option at right back and then he got to the main season and suddenly he's not even in the squad and you're thinking oh okay well he'll almost definitely go then because football's what he's going to be looking for but
DailySaintsPod: But there wasn't really any noise or any links. but now suddenly as we get towards this kind of action -packed part of the window where it's all coming to a head uh reportedly There are interest from PSV, Celtic.
DailySaintsPod: Werder Bremen, as well as two other unnamed top Bundesliga clubs. Uh, Saints are reportedly looking for around £7 million for Sugawara. Uh... The latest news that I saw was that Celtic were potentially lining up a move because he's the answer to their problems in that position.
DailySaintsPod: And I saw another news article claiming that Italian clubs... We're leading the race. just generic italian clubs non -named so I dunno, it's hard to tell with news stories like that. how much of it is genuine rumors how much of it is journalists looking and going well these teams logically need a right back and this is a right back that's available and and at a decent level
DailySaintsPod: and of how much of it could just be... his agent stirring up some noise to try and Uh... gain a move somewhere so who really knows but you know another player that I would expect to not be in a Saints shirt come the end of the window.
DailySaintsPod: Next on that. The list falls under the same kind of category. Gavin Pizzuno, not heard a lot. about Buzunu, this entire window, it was it's been made abundantly clear the goalkeeper position at Saints. that Peretz is going to be our number one choice.
DailySaintsPod: George Long is going to be our number two choice, which... you know effectively is is put in bazoonoo and Ramsdale on the transfer list, but Quiet on all fronts up until sometime earlier this week where I have seen articles linking him with Celtic and also with Dynamo as a grab.
DailySaintsPod: They're both good teams to move on to, right? celtic I mean, a team that Paddy Power of have already paid out on winish winning the Scottish League, but that's just you know Paddy Power doing their funny thing.
DailySaintsPod: and and you know dynamo's a grabber are also like a good top Team. right in in europe so good places to be linked with given the opportunity.
DailySaintsPod: pretty clear that his his future... doesn't lie with Southampton, so... Like we think we've talked about this. time and time again on the show I hope that he goes somewhere and does very well and and fulfills the potential that I think he has. but I think it's pretty clear that it's not going to be here
DailySaintsPod: Next on the list... Cameron Archer. who we heard earlier in the window. linked with west brom which seems to have quieted down don't know if that's something that might come up closer to the end of the window as we see all of the other stuff falling into place we talked about like the moving parts of the chain and how It just makes the whole window very...
DailySaintsPod: And centric. But he has received interest also from Preston. who potentially want to take him on a loan deal.
DailySaintsPod: I don't know if that's the sort of move that would... interest or inspire him. aura i kind of feel like If we're going to get rid of him, it would...
DailySaintsPod: be on a permanent deal rather than on a loan because I kind of get the feeling that if... he's one of the players on this list that we would quite happily keep and have as a squad player. We know...
DailySaintsPod: some of the things he could do, some of the impact he could make off the bench, and he had some some very good performances towards the end of last season. So I'm sure he'll be...
DailySaintsPod: I don't know, try and fight for a place. I guess that's one that we'll keep an eye on and see. Obviously, we talked before about in January, he... he had this move to rangers fall through
DailySaintsPod: that would have been disappointing to him. I don't know if a loan moved Preston quite. holds the same weight as that. With the greatest of respect to Preston, it's... kind of a sideways step, although maybe the the want to go and play regular football where...
DailySaintsPod: you know He probably isn't going to be a regular starter for us. Maybe that is something that appeals to him. So I want to keep an eye on and maybe we'll see.
DailySaintsPod: Aaron Ramsdale under the same same ilk right of players who it's been made clear we are expecting to leave uh but also we haven't heard a lot of news from in fact the only news story i have seen relating to our Ramsdale moving on is that Clubs from Abroad.
DailySaintsPod: maintain interest. No specific examples, not even as like honed in as country, just clubs from abroad. I dunno. this kind of feels like one that's going to have to happen before the end of the window or it's going to feel like an absolute disaster. but
DailySaintsPod: Again. one of these things where all of the moving parts make it. so much more focused and i you know i imagine that especially as we've got a game on transfer deadline either.
DailySaintsPod: i mean The next few days are going to be very, very busy from both a football perspective and a transfer perspective. so Definitely worth keeping an eye on. another player of course we would have expected to leave at the start of the season although has been more involved than perhaps we'd have expected recently, Bember and Diaz. we've been talking on these transfer shows about Potential move to Derby, a potential move for Sheffield United.
DailySaintsPod: Both apparently still interested. Derby have apparently inquired about a loan move. However, Southampton would prefer a permanent deal. and would like to get about three and a half million for Denver and Diaz of course we signed him for seven and a half million a couple of years ago so willing to go out and take a hit on that was the interesting part of that for me. willing to take the loss and move on but
DailySaintsPod: preferably on a permanent deal and not on a loan. But again, one one that we shall wait and see.
DailySaintsPod: Next up. tonde This is one that comes from Tonda's post -match press conference from West Ham, which was was interested interesting. quite a bit covered in that and But Mads Roslev.
DailySaintsPod: was mentioned that he will potentially be looking for a loan move to get minutes and get his fitness back after you know being out injured for nearly a year and whilst in a lot of ways that makes sense it's not the sort of injury you want to chuck him into the very physical.
DailySaintsPod: league of the championship and risk straight away and And we've talked about how important... every game is really at this point for us and how important it is to maintain momentum You know, we're not really in a position to kind of. cradle players back into the team so maybe a loan option is the the best thing for him but Also, I mean...
DailySaintsPod: What rubbish signing. For us, he's really turned out to be, right? Played a couple of games, got injured, and now he's going to have to go out on loan to regain that fitness. Just not one that's worked out, really. It seemed a bit of a strange sign and at the time.
DailySaintsPod: but again i suppose we've talked about it it's because Will still didn't. rate James Brie and sent him out on loan when actually you know he came back and and proved otherwise and I know we've not seen...
DailySaintsPod: Bree quite played to the same level yet this season, but that can be said for so many of the rest of the team too. so Who knows? Come the weekend. whether we'll hold that opinion but yeah interesting interesting one there for Ross. I have no clubs specifically that I've seen him linked with, but...
DailySaintsPod: You know straight out of the mouth of thunder So... has to... be taken seriously. Casper Yandler is in the the next one on my list despite being out injured currently. and You know, we were told he was potentially going to be ready for Saturday against Stoke. However, he he wasn't.
DailySaintsPod: We didn't see him in the squad for the West Ham game, so I don't know if he will be fit and ready for Millwall. uh i guess we'll uh wait have to wait for a press conference or even potentially be the game to see for sure But despite being out with that injury, he remains on the radar of several top German clubs, including VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig, who are both interested on signing the player on a permanent deal.
DailySaintsPod: And we talked. at the start of the window how about a move back to germany would probably suit caspy hander for all the personal reasons that came out towards the end of last season And you know I thought we were doing really well to survive.
DailySaintsPod: to survive through the transfer window and really make it look like he was staying but These kind of came up at a time that makes me feel like but Oh no, maybe...
DailySaintsPod: Maybe he is just gonna go to Germany like we originally thought he would and And then when you think about that, and think about the... the struggles we' we've been having in midfield.
DailySaintsPod: uh the number of players we need to bring in really sort of starts to creep up because You know, we you need to replace Che Charles. And...
DailySaintsPod: If we then also need to replace Caspian, that's... There's a lot of quality midfield player to lose in one window. So it would be... uh it would be difficult difficult shoes to fill to to players who were excellent last season So.
DailySaintsPod: And then finally on my outs, Joaquin Cayasanda, who I'm sure you remember we signed a couple of years ago. The young centre -back is likely to return to French club Red Star.
DailySaintsPod: which is where I believe he was out on loan last season. This time it will be on a loan deal with an option to buy. Apparently that one's pretty close to done.
DailySaintsPod: So yeah, a bit of a strange one that I don't know if that's a case of kind of the the Sports Republic. aimed methodology of buy a young promising player at a reasonably cheap price and hope to sell him on for profit i don't know if we'll make profit if we sell him just a bit of a baffling one really never really made it close to the first team has been Out on loan.
DailySaintsPod: More than he's been here showed a bit of promise Looks like a decent player. Did well for the under -21s when I went and watched them the other week. Was their captain.
DailySaintsPod: yeah just a a bit of an odd one for me but i guess a very modern football approach to a player. and that's it that's my out list which It's basically taken me to the the full length of an episode, which is crazy. still Still lots of players there that we are going to need to get rid of.
DailySaintsPod: potentially players that we need to get rid of before we can even think about bringing players in with these squad cost cost ratio rules coming in this season, which is a bit upsetting as we really get into the tail end of the window, right? it's getting very close to the deadline And... and We need those parts of the chain to start moving so that we can start bringing in key replacements because...
DailySaintsPod: You know? It's... It's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. But look, talking about some of those replacements, there are... some in Rumors.
DailySaintsPod: And... So look let's get to them. the The big main one that's come out today at day of recording, it kind of came out of nowhere. Kevin Schlotterbeck from Augsburg, who is a 29 -year -old, 6 '2", left -foot centre -back and also their captain. Not to be confused with his younger brother, Nico Schlotterbeck, who is who I thought it was when I saw the surname and got quite excited.
DailySaintsPod: But look he's a very experienced centre -back in the Bundesliga. He's played 152 appearances in the top flight of German football. a Really good. solid center back.
DailySaintsPod: excellent in aerial duels and Really comfortable carrying the ball, good at distribution. The reported fee that we'll be signing him for is 3 .8 million euros with a 685 ,000.
DailySaintsPod: uh euro bonus which I mean, it just sounds like an absolute bargain, to be honest. know that 29 is is I guess, slightly towards aging at this point, but...
DailySaintsPod: look a nice experienced player who's trusted enough to be captain. just feels like a fantastic signing for me.
DailySaintsPod: really shoring up. the the defense which is has been an area of concern touted by several sources has not seen as a replacement for Harwood Bellis.
DailySaintsPod: but a replacement for Joshua Kwasi, who is reportedly looking for a loan deal out, but I couldn't find any solid sources to include that in my outlist. but
DailySaintsPod: I don't know, man. An experienced, a player of that experience to be the replacement for... our very young, very inexperienced centre -back. It doesn't read that for me. he's If he's coming here...
DailySaintsPod: As captain of Augsburg, he's coming here to be... first choice starting centre -back, let's be honest. and or or maybe looking to potentially share that role with Jack Stevens.
DailySaintsPod: and rotate out in that line next to wood or or whoever else we may have lined up. later on in this list but Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: I think that that's a really good... signing ed and very very telling of some of the lessons Sports Republic have learned to not immediately go to a younger player.
DailySaintsPod: with potential. bringing in and understanding the experience and leadership. are important parts of the team as well. and Yeah. just seems baffling to me that He was that cheap.
DailySaintsPod: But... it's It's good signing, I think. Very good. Next up on my inbound list, a name that I am probably going to butcher, so apologies in advance.
DailySaintsPod: Henrik Faulkner. the Saints have reportedly joined the race to sign the 23 -year -old Norwegian defender who currently plays for Norwegian side. Viking.
DailySaintsPod: According to reports... from Eric Hesse. Sheldic. who is a ba Norwegian journalist. Saints have placed a bid already for close to £8 million. pound And I'm hoping that that will be enough to get it across the line and bring in the young centre -back.
DailySaintsPod: This to me Sounds like the logical actual replacement for Quasi, where Schlosserpack feels like the probable replacement for Harwood Bellis.
DailySaintsPod: youth and experience both coming in in the centre -back role. I think there's been a lot of discussion about particularly Jack Stephens and the role he's having in centre -back at the moment. It's no...
DailySaintsPod: Surprise to any of us, it's a position that we need. strength in. Right. Like we we have. potentially numbers. uh until harvard bellis is officially out of the door but actually the strength and depth of the position is is is a concern. And we knew even last season that Jack Stephens couldn't play every minute of all of the games.
DailySaintsPod: And so far this season. Alright. I mean without trying to put too fine a point on it. He seems to be struggling even more than that So.
DailySaintsPod: uh getting booze. those things to balance and start shoring up the defense seems like a very sensible sensible thing to do for me.
DailySaintsPod: next on the list uh peter vratkov the lazio striker We talked about him last week on the show. Apparently, we have continued to try and sign him and make improved deals on personal terms with Lazio. He's not in the picture at Lazio, basically.
DailySaintsPod: But he continues to say no to coming here. So I don't think it's something that is going to happen. Bit of an interesting in one, I suppose, to keep an eye on. Maybe he does come here if we offer something good enough. but I mean...
DailySaintsPod: i mean How many times can you turn the club away before they take the hint, I suppose? And last, and I suppose not least on my list, all of a sudden, right late on in the evening tonight, it has come out that...
DailySaintsPod: a potential return to St Mary's. is on the cards for former Saints captain James Ward -Prowse. It really started...
DailySaintsPod: Popping off out of nowhere Adam Blackmore put out a tweet Alfie House put out a tweet. It was on TalkSport. And, you know, the the kind of musings and rumblings that you tend to only start hearing.
DailySaintsPod: if something's really got some weight behind it as opposed to like oh we should just sign this ex -player which is something that we have talked about seeing a lot for for us as Saints fans, right?
DailySaintsPod: This one feels like... Heh heh heh heh. It might actually happen and be likely. He is supposedly open to return into the club.
DailySaintsPod: And West Ham would be happy to let him go for a nominal fee in the last year of his contract. and famously doesn't really get along with Nuno.
DailySaintsPod: Four. You know, reasons unknown. Because he called him Baldi. supposedly the sticking point is that currently he's set to earn about £50 ,000 a week.
DailySaintsPod: at West Ham and that's probably not a wage that we're going to be willing to pay him in the championship especially when when you think about realistically.
DailySaintsPod: What kind of role? James Ward -Prowse plays in... in our squad as it stands.
DailySaintsPod: Because... I really like James Paul Prowse as a player and as a person he's a... huge servant to the club in the time he was here and A real shining star of hope in some pretty dark. times.
DailySaintsPod: on the pitch at Southampton. But he is not a like -for -like show child replacement. He is a... especially at his current age, I would say that that is a...
DailySaintsPod: a drop in quality like could he come in and be a rotational player to come on and and take that role in midfield for 30 minutes at the end of the game for that experienced head and knowing the professionalism that he brings to the dressing room.
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely. Right, 100%. it But is he? Someone who you can play in that position to start every week and bring that quality that Shea Charles brought. i don't I don't know. It's not the same. profile of player to me.
DailySaintsPod: It's not a match in my head. It's not. I don't... See... his profile. matching to any of the real positions.
DailySaintsPod: or places that we we struggle in at the moment. which isn't to say that it wouldn't be a huge boost to have him back at the club. And, you know, even if he's coming in in that Oriol Romelu role from last season, right? He's someone that understands the club in inside and out and the importance of the club.
DailySaintsPod: has a wealth of experience to share with the dressing room. is generally considered. you know and and Uh... consummate professional in in most senses of the word So a quality person to have around the place.
DailySaintsPod: Uh... and And, you know, there's still a player in there. He's still James Ward -Prowse, so... Look. Uh... we've talked on the show before about how sick we are of talking about this
DailySaintsPod: But look. If it does happen and something is agreed and he does come back. I will be there cheering as loudly as anyone. if he Bangs and a free kick. Right. So.
DailySaintsPod: it's just if If it's a deal that... sense. then fine.
