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Saints Could Still Make Another Signing
Monday, 13th Aug 2018 20:46

The whisper around St Mary's is that there might well be another signing before the end of the month, with Saints perhaps adding to the squad an out of contract player, but who could be on the radar.

Saints of course can't sign a player on a transfer either permanent or a loan signing however they can sign a player who is out of contract as they did a couple of seasons ago when they brought in Martin Caceres but failed to utilise his talents playing him only once.

The rumour mill is saying though that there could be another arrival at St Mary's before the month is out, apparently they have a target but with the European transfer window still yet to close such out of contract players are hanging on in the hope that their demand will increase when the window shuts across the continent and clubs who have falied to land vital signings will be prepared to pay a little more as the auction begins.

One player whose name is cropping up as a potential signing for Saints is Hatem Ben Arfa who has just been released by Paris Saint Germain.

With a track record of having played for some of the biggest clubs in France as well as three full seasons at Newcastle United and a brief spell at Hull City in 2014/15, the player joined Claude Puel's Nice for 2015/16 on a one year deal, after 17 goals in 34 games his stock was high and in the summer of 2016 was linked with a number of clubs including interest from Saints with whom his former manager had just joined.

He ended up at PSG and had a reasonable first season although mainly used off the bench.

Last season he failed to make a single appearance and at 31 he was released and now is being linked with Southampton again.

He would be a cheap option but would provide good cover as he is able to play either as an out and out winger or more centrally in an attacking role in the midfield.

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TeamCortese added 23:42 - Aug 13
He wouldn't come to us. What half decent player would want to come Saints?

We've gone from being a top 8 team knocking on the door of the big 6 to a feeder club trying to avoid relegation. Our manager is at best average. Our squad is average with the exception of Lemina, Bertrand, Maybe Vestergaard, Boufal (when he can be arsed) and Cedric to a lesser degree. Everyone else is shite and would never get into a top 6 team. That's why we can't get rid....

Southampton would be one of last clubs on my list to join if I were him. Right now it's more attractive to join Wolves, West Ham, Fulham, Everton, Bournemouth and Leicester. Our club is too cheap and doesn't have any goals or ambition--let alone the money to pay his wages!

Players like Lemina, Elyounoussi and Vestergaard have all missed the boat. They should have joined us 2-3 years ago when we were half decent in order to get a move to Liverpool or whoever.

Anyway rant over. He'll probably either stay in France or at best get signed by a club that can offer European football e.g. Burnley (it's very sad times that I'm saying that!)

For me nothing will change our transfer outcomes until we have an owner who has clear footballing goals that everyone can aspire to. Right now I don't see that with Mr Gao and co. I just see us being used as a money vehicle.
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TeamCortese added 23:47 - Aug 13
Just to add he's just a left footed version of Boufal anyway. We all know how that will end anyway...Clearly we just need an army of Charlie Austins, JWPs and Shane Longs and we'll probably win the EPL!
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ericofarabia added 04:52 - Aug 14
Maybe there is a good reason that he didn't play a single game last season and that nobody else has moved in for him ..... 2016/17 was far from reasonable 34 games .... 1 goal and 1 assist .... FFS he makes Redmond and Schlong look like Goal Machines. He's all washed up, hasn't played for a season and isn't a spring chicken anymore. Stay well away please SFC.
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saintlee added 07:03 - Aug 14
Hope he can play right back too !!
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JimmyMeliaPhD added 07:05 - Aug 14
Dunno about Ben Arfa, but the article mentions Caceres. Anyone else seeing him in the World Cup wondering what the hell happened when he was with us? He's still clearly a competent international defender, the likes of which we have just one (Yoshida).
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saintmark1976 added 08:18 - Aug 14
If there is any truth in Nick's post then as TeamCortese says it just shows how far we have fallen particularly since Koeman left.

As has been mentioned many times before we have the ninth biggest income stream of any club in the land yet we may be looking to sign a thirty one year old out of contract player who did not make one single appearance last season.

Hopefully at the upcoming fans forum members of the audience will ask the management to explain our recent decline although I expect any answers will resemble be the usual corporate smoke and mirrors spin.

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LoisDeem added 08:52 - Aug 14
Would be interested in hearing teamcortese going through the team sheet at Thursday's forum and interspersing players names with the comment 'shite' .
As a Saints fan I don't actually believe that we've got a bad squad or manager, this team just needs confidence and support, a continuity of sycophancy for previous 'heroes' and transparent hatred of our current board does us no favours.
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LoisDeem added 08:52 - Aug 14
Would be interested in hearing teamcortese going through the team sheet at Thursday's forum and interspersing players names with the comment 'shite' .
As a Saints fan I don't actually believe that we've got a bad squad or manager, this team just needs confidence and support, a continuity of sycophancy for previous 'heroes' and transparent hatred of our current board does us no favours.
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redwight added 10:00 - Aug 14
OK, I know lot of water has passed under the bridge, but like jimmymelia, I also have not forgotten the signing of Martin Caceres. A seriously accomplished defender who made it to the world cup quarter finals wasn't thought good enough to displace Stephens or Yoshida. Could even have cost us a trophy. Perhaps someone could raise that one at the fans forum.
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highfield49 added 14:27 - Aug 14
Like the majority of supporters I can't believe that the club would waste money on bringing in Ben Arfa, can anybody think of any good reason whatever to sign this guy? On the other hand I can see good reason in getting a few of our "not even on the fringe" players off the wage bill. There are players getting more than decent and, in some cases, incredible amounts of money to attend training without any real prospect of getting proper game time. Whether it's loans or low money transfers it's plain daft keep paying them wages for providing less impact than an over the hill Ben Arfa would make.So if the rumours of another signing are true let's hope the one that Nick has selected has no substance whatsoever.
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claus5 added 14:49 - Aug 14
Dear Mr.or Mrs Teamcortese, you appear to be a bit of a cock. you also contradicted yourself re Boufal. stop moaning and give the lads a chance. If we are in the bottom three at Christmas feel free to begin your moaning again.
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schatfield added 15:52 - Aug 14
jeez teamcortese, did someone piss on your cornflakes today? maybe dont support Saints if you think they are that dreadful to watch. The rest of us quite like this new look side!
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SaintStu7 added 17:09 - Aug 14
I have to agree with the last 2 posts, what is the point of supporting a team if you can only criticise and see negatives. We haven’t fallen from being a top 8 club, we have risen from being relegation fodder and from League One. We need a reality check to make sure we realise how lucky we are and how great these times are. I could mention Leeds, Forest, Sheffield Wed/Utd....Pompey!
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Jesus_02 added 17:55 - Aug 14
OK Team Cortese probably had a few bevvies and spouted off... but is he really that far from the truth. We DID have ambition and THE SOUTHAMPTON WAY was not just how we used to get by.

Our purchases have been timid and full of fear in the same way that our players have become. We used to pay above average for above average players and in all honesty I think we have just bottled it. Now we have too many players. Too many bang average players. As Hughes has said we don't have room for anyone else.

I really, really hope that Ings will be awesome and that Redmond and JWP can grow into a regular England Internationals but I cant see it.

Hopefully Hughes wont get the brunt of what is going to be a very tough season and people will adjust their expectations accordingly.

I was relieved that we didn't lose to Burnley and I cant imagine even the most blissfully blind fan will put money on us getting more than a point at Everton. This is not the Southampton way we where looking for.

I will support saints through thick and thin. We need to hang together and ride out this storm. Fingers crossed MH is the one that will grind out enough results to avoid relegation.
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bstokesaint added 18:43 - Aug 14
I was a bit sceptical of our summer signings, but credit where it’s due all the new guys looked better than “bang average” on Sunday’s showng. Just hope that continues. The signing of Ings for me showed that we still have some ambition. It’s not always about spending the most (although it works for the likes of Man C), but about discovering real talent in the right positions. I feel more hopeful of a better season based on the second half on Sunday. I just hope he sharpen up quicker, as that first half was awful.
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ExiledSupporter added 00:40 - Aug 15
Well, I think Ben Arfa might be worth taking a punt on. In his prime (okay, some time ago) he looked a very accomplished player and since he will not cost us any fee and he is not in a strong position to negotiate the wages will not be all that high either (not if we negotiate from a position of relative strength)

Okay he may be as moody as Boufal (who I still feel could be outstanding for us if we could get him to pay attention andn be a little less egotistic), but the role that Ramires, Boufal and now perhaps Ben Arfa could play for us as a No. 10 still remains unfulfilled. Ings and Gabbiadini need someone able to play between the lines and to test the opposition's abilities down the channels...perhaps Ben Arfa might succeed at this; he had a creative talent and a eagerness to score (despite being part of Puel's previous formation) so I think that he is potentially worth a gamble
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BoondockSaint added 02:35 - Aug 15
highfield49-Sorry I meant to agree!
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highfield49 added 13:01 - Aug 15
Hahah BoondockSaint thanks for that, it looks as though our shared view of the "no-hopers" and "past their sell by date" players on the wage bill doesn't concern many other supporters. I'm still hoping that the likes of Gallagher, Reed and Sims can break into the squad but if they really are considered less worthy to get on the bench in place of some of our "senior" players then they must surely be given the opportunity to play for other clubs? We've recruited some decent players this summer, who are already proving their worth, so why hang on to players who have no chance of playing other than as a result of covering for a succession of serious injuries? To reiterate my earlier post, why on earth would we recruit Ben Arfa and continue to pay others to do nothing but keep fit in the hope of sitting on the bench occasionally?
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BoondockSaint added 14:03 - Aug 15
Agreed! Hughes said we can't make new signings until we off-load a ton of contracts, and yet we still get linked with players who are being off-loaded by other teams (never Barca or Real of course!) who are cutting their wage bill.

Wouldn't it be great if for once Saints were accused of "unsettling" a really good player in his prime?
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TeamCortese added 17:39 - Aug 15
Guys you can call me what you want! But no one can objectively tell me they’re excited to support our team at the moment! We have regressed as a football club and this is all down to the ownership.

I understand our position as a football club but I am not afraid to speak my mind! Our squad is bang average and everyone knows it. The best we can hope for is a top 15 finish.

Don’t care what people think about Danny ing. I’m not excited or inspired. If Klopp rated him he wouldn’t have let him leave on loan. The simple reality is we’re not that good anymore.

Anyway I get that I’ve offended people as I actually want more for the club other than mediocrity so let’s continue having that Swiss hag and Chinese parasite run our club to relegation!
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warrens76 added 19:51 - Aug 15
Team Cortese...greedy Swiss hag IF you don't mind.
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SaintStu7 added 21:03 - Aug 17
Team Cortese show some respect for a family that saved our club and has given you the opportunity to want more! Embarrassed
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TeamCortese added 15:53 - Aug 18
She doesn't deserve my respect only her father Markus and to a lesser degree Nicola Cortese do. She never wanted us in the first place.

She could have sold us to an owner who is actually interested in football and can invest some f*cking money! Someone like Alisher Usmanov would have been perfect for us. Mr Gao is nothing more than a money launderer as far as I'm concerned.

He's brought nothing to our football club and is nothing more than a Chinese version of Stan Kroenke...silent and adds nothing...
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