x

Wanyama Speaks About Leaving Southampton

The deal has yet to be done, but already Victor Wanyama is talking about his move away from St Mary's to Tottenham Hotspur.

The press are widely reporting that Leicester City have lost the chase to sign Victor Wanyama and that surprise surprise it is Tottenham Hotspur's shirt he will pull on next season.

Although nothing is official and technically Saints are in contract talks, I think it's fair to assume that the fact that the deal has been of the table for six months and is still unsigned means that Wanyama had no intention of ever signing it.

Speaking to soka25east in Kenya, Wanyama said.

"It’s always a tough moment leaving a club that you are so much used to their tradition and fans but again it’s always the dream of any footballer to play at the very top level like Champions league ”

"I will definitely miss the awesome Southampton fans who always showed me love and I know they will fully understand my decision "

Wanyama is apparently going to have a medical with Spurs on Monday and then his signing will be announced in the middle of next week.

The fee looks like being little more than the amount paid for him when he signed from Celtic in the summer of 2013, however Saints have got value for that money and Saints fans have to realise that the modern game is different than it was even five years ago, clubs have to wheel and deal with their squad players and once a player reaches the final year of his contract then his value will drop.

Yes Saints could probably have got £20 million last summer, however in the grand scheme of things I would suggest that it has been better for Saints to keep Wanyama for last season and perhaps lose £7 Million pounds in the process, that is perhaps proved by the fact that we finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League.

From Wanyama's perspective, even Spurs supporters are wondering whether this is a good move for their team, they are asking how he will fit into the Spurs way of playing.

Last season Spurs relied on getting the ball quickly and accurately up to Harry Kane, this is not Wanyama's type of game, he is a ball winner and Spurs have already got one of those in Dier.

Spurs fans question whether you could have both Dier and Wanyama in the same team and if you did that it would mean the flow of play would be slowed down.

They see Wanyama as being back up to Dier rather than playing alongside except in a few situations hwere they need to shut up shop.

The worry for them is that Mauricio Pochettino will change their style of play to accommodate Wanyama and this could be detrimental to the team overall.

It is sad for Saints fans to see Wanyama go, but I think like Morgan Schneiderlin a year ago they have become resigned to it happening over the season, it cannot be denied he has been good for the club, but last season his contribution has been not as big as it could have been, he has been vital in some games and ultimately that helped us finish sixth, but he spent too many times suspended or off the pitch having been send off, add to that a few indifferent games and you have to say that if he had applied himself better then perhaps he would have been able to have Champions League football with Southampton.

What to read next:

The season that was - Preview
As QPR, unbelievably, head to Coventry on the final day safe and secure, LFW looks back at a tumultuous two years at the football club, and the lessons it must learn to make the most of the potential it now has to move forwards.
I hear you’re a set piece team now father – Analysis
In his final analysis piece for LFW this season, Dan Lambert looks at how QPR went from being the worst team in the league for offensive set pieces to, eventually, kind of good.
Coventry left to reflect on another Wembley heartache - Oppo Profile
For a second year in a row a promising Coventry City season has ended in penalty shoot-out heartbreak at Wembley, only this time with some added VAR nonsense thrown in for good measure - Neil Littlewood (@littlewood88) and Dominic Jerrams (@SideSammy) take us through it.
The Copa de Ibiza - History
As QPR prepare to visit Coventry City on Saturday, we look back at connections between the two sides, past results, and Rangers’ last successfully foray into European competition with the 2005 Copa De Ibiza triumph.
Smith in charge at Coventry - Referee
Josh Smith, last in charge of QPR for the memorable Good Friday win at home to Birmingham, is the man in the middle for the final day trip to Coventry.
Watch me rise up and leave, all the ashes you made out of me – Report
On Friday night, under the lights at Loftus Road, Queens Park Rangers landed on their wheels, pulled over and asked what you were worried about.
Queens Park Rangers 4 - 0 Leeds United - Photo Gallery
Pictures from Ian Randall on an extraordinary night at Loftus Road as QPR put their season to bed with a 4-0 thumping of promotion chasing Leeds.
Queens Park Rangers 4 - 0 Leeds United - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
End game – Preview
QPR need one result, in any one of a multitude of the remaining games, to secure their Championship safety - they get first swing at getting it for themselves tonight at home to Massive Leeds United.
So near and yet so far - History
Ahead of the visit of Leeds to Loftus Road on Friday we look back at the final day of the 1975/76 season when QPR got the 2-0 win they needed to take their title bid down to Liverpool's final match at Wolves - 48 years ago this week.