TRANSFER DEADLINE COUNTDOWN

Just over a week left and no signings yet. The most prominent links at the moment seem to be with Carrillo and Promes. Carrillo's record doesn't really make him sound any better than what we already have and I would have thought there could be better and safer options around, but hopefully Grino is justified in his faith in him as he has managed him in the past.

The Promes statistics make very good reading and I hope the club can sort out the finances and make this one happen. After being left with red faces after the Walcott saga, they will hopefully be more prepared this time..... (so why do I think he will slip through our fingers?)

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/district/southampton/15887641.Saints_set_to_splash___50million_on_two_new_stars/


It's good that Saints are prioritising the forward line but surely they must also have a solid central defender lined up, mustn't they?? I think it could be a big mistake to rely on Yoshida or Stephens to partner Hoedt.

We bid £17.5m for Carillo, Monaco say they want £30m for a player probably worth £10m who has started 2 games for them this season. Move on Reed , why not pay Birmingham £1m and bring our own player back, sure Gallagher will be as good as Carillo.

Promes deal will be about the wages as think a release clause. He is supposedly on around £100k a week which will put a few out of joint if we pay but just get it done. No doubt he will want a release clause but looks like he will add pace to the side plus an eye for goal.

Use the money for Carillo for a decent centre half or take a punt on Dembele at Celtic, who would seem a better prospect than Carillo.

See Targett has gone to Fulham on loan for rest of the season thought we were interested in their right back. Now see Bertrand get injured and we have no pull back clause. Whole some are saying frees up a space for player coming in we could always offload Gardos who is never going to make it as a premiership player.

All over the internet today that an offer of just over £19m for Carrillo has been accepted and deal to be announced shortly, probably tomorrow.   Haven't seen anything new about the Promes situation.

Pity it wasn't the other way around..... want to see Promes come but very wary about how successful Carrillo will prove.

Couldn't agree more Mike, Promes looks a decent player and a real replacement for Mane and we could pay Birmingham to get Gallagher back who looks as good at least as Carillo. Much better use of the money and could even have enough left to get in a strong CB, any team needs 4 strikers and 4 CBs, we have 3 strikers with one prone to injury and with VVD gone really only 3 CBs, Bedanek is nowhere ready and Gardos never will be now.

and just to add Monaco fans saying would take £5m for him!. Lacks mobility, hopeless outside the box but okay inside. So bought a replacement for Austin not a Pelle style

I thought it seemed too good to be true.....

https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/southampton/in-focus-southampton-may-turn-to-nicolas-gaitan-with-promes-reluctant-to-join

should go for Dembele at Celtic if Promes not interested

This is more hopeful....

http://the4thofficial.net/2018/01/southampton-receive-boost-pursuit-26-yo-forward-pellegrino-go/

If Promes does sign, and for me 30/70 then Gabbadini will leave which is a shame as a decent player in there, just a manager who doesn't know how to use him

Talk about dragging it out, I think this proves Reed is the main problem at the club, always trying to do a deal on the cheap or going after players when he knows the price but not wanting to pay (Walcott). By all accounts there is a release clause of 30m Euro yet we seem to be offering below that figure, ???? To save £2/3m when overpaid by £10m for Carillo??????? Cold have got Deeney for less than what we paid for Carillo and how did he not make Sturridge a condition of VVD going to Liverpool? Klopp would have done anything to make the deal.

He could have had the deal done before last weekend, and on the bench for tomorrow night but not with good old Les, He really was well suited to the FA, bumbling, indecisive, arrogant old fool. I have some sympathy for MP as you can see a few days ago he was full of optimism that deal would be done, can tell by latest that has all gone.

Sack Reed!

I heard that we were prepared in the end to pay what Moscow wanted but the deal wasn't completed because they were not able to get a replacement.   Not sure how that works if a release clause is triggered.

Any way the fault still lies with Saints, as if they had agreed the fee earlier Moscow would have had more time to get someone else in.   It's been said that the move is likely to be completed at the end of the season but I can't see that happening.  By that time, other teams will be in for him and it isn't likely he would choose Saints as his destination.   And there's no way he'd sign for a Championship side anyway.....

On the subject of a replacement for Moscow, I wonder if Saints thought of offering Redmond, Davis or Tadic.   Moscow could have taken one (or 2) of them on loan till the end of the season and then decided whether to make it permanent or look elsewhere.

I see Walcott scored twice last night....

Yep, Walcott did indeed score twice. What a shambles this is !