Nostalgia is a reactionary impulse and that’s exactly what Southampton FC did in bringing Theo Walcott back. Walcott, 31, now returns to his youth academy club, but he’s definitely not the same guy who left the south coast club for 5 million GBP to join Arsenal in 2006.
He’ll score some goals and sell a lot of shirts, but this deadline day signing is not the way for Saints to press forward. Let’s take a look at the rest of the transfer business; fee amounts in Euros.
Southampton FC Additions:
Midfielder Ibrahima Diallo from Stade Brest (15m), left back Max Lowe from Derby (undisclosed), defender Ethan Ampadu (loan), Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham (loan move becomes permanent, 13.3m), Mohamed Salisu from Real Valldolid (12m), Theo Walcott (loan from Everton)
Southampton FC Subtractions:
Midfielder Harrison Reed to Fulham (9m), defender Mario Lemina to Fulham (loan), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham (16.6m), Cedric Soares to Arsenal (loan), Alexander Cull (Released)
Mohamed Elyounoussi (Celtic) Loan, Maya Yoshida (Released), Alfie Jones (Hull), Jack Bycroft (Weymouth) Loan, Christoph Klarer (Fortuna Dusseldorf)
Southampton FC Team Needs Addressed:
Said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl of the Salisu signing: “This is an important signing for us. Mohammed is a player who fits our profile well. He is young and has a great amount of potential, but he is also someone who has the qualities to come in and help the team as soon as he is up to speed with our way of playing.”
Saints needed to address their issues in defense, and they certainly did that, but how much of an upgrade was it, and will it be enough? Southampton needed to do more to cut down on goals conceded, so they don’t need to be so overly reliant on Danny Ings banging in goals to bail them out all the time.
Southampton FC Team Needs Neglected:
They could have added more in midfield and given Ings some help. Walcott isn’t enough, even though it is a feel good story.
Southampton FC Synopsis:
Not a single players was sold to Liverpool this time around, a phenomenon so commonplace recently that Saints themselves even poked fun at it in their own video game they created to launch their new kit in mid July.
But jokes aside, they really didn’t do anything to move the club forward. The outgoings were ahead of the incomings and that is a bad sign. They spent some money, but this isn’t a matter of “when you’re standing still, you’re actually falling behind,” it’s simply put, Saints didn’t do enough business to significantly improve the side and that’s unacceptable; especially given the struggles they’ve had to stay up in the top flight in recent years.
Some people see the positives in the overall body of work, but I am just not feeling that at all.
Grade: C-
Transfer window report cards: Everton Chelsea City Arsenal Tottenham Liverpool United
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.