Southampton’s inconsistent start to the season has left the club languishing out of the top 10 and near the relegation zone in 17th position in the table. As the pressure grows on new manager Mauricio Pellegrino, the saints will feel that 4 wins in 22 matches is far from the desired start they were hoping for. They have collected 20 points from their twenty two game weeks and will be hoping to change their luck soon. The club appears to be flirting with danger as they are just level on points with 18th placed Stoke City and only avoiding a relegation spot thanks to their superior goal difference.
After a tumultuous summer, that oversaw the arrival of Manuel Pellegrino replacing Claude Puel at the helm of the club and a legal complaint filed against Liverpool over the Virgil Van Dijk saga, the new manager did not get the desired calm and peace required to settle in and implement his philosophy at St. Mary’s.
Southampton oversaw the departure of a few club regulars like Jay Rodriguez, Lloyd Isgrove and Jordy Clasie. Of the new signings, the limelight went to the man arriving from Juventus, Mario Lemina.
The Saints’ star defender Van Dijk was set to leave the club, having handed in a transfer request. Liverpool one of the many clubs interested in securing the Dutch defender’s service.
Liverpool’s move was a little too aggressive for Southampton’s liking and they went on to take legal action against the Merseyside club, thereby formally putting an end to Liverpool’s attempt to sign the defender for the time being. However, Liverpool seems to have corrected their mistake this time around and has paid Southampton a monstrous 75 million pounds for Van Dijk.
Southampton who have the most expensively assembled squad outside the top six and Everton in the English Premier League will want to use this money to bring in some much-needed reinforcements. It appears now that the owners are ready to bring in new players by using the Van Dijk money. One player who is being linked with them is Celtic’s out of favour defender Erik Sviatchenko. The Dane who signed for the Scottish side back in the winter window of 2016, has been left out in the cold this season. He has only played twice this season in both the Champions League qualification rounds and since has not featured.
He has been subjected to a £1.5million bid from Copenhagen according to reports and if the link is true, Southampton will have to act fast to land the 26-year old.
