Southampton has completed the signing of Dutch international midfielder Jordy Clasie from Feyenoord for an initial fee of $10 million which could rise to $12 million.
[ MORE: De Gea to stay at United? ]
Clasie, 24, has arrived at St Mary’s on a five-year deal and the man who skippered Feyenoord will link up with his former boss in Rotterdam, Ronald Koeman.
His arrival will help soften the blow of Morgan Schneiderlin’s $40 million departure to Manchester United earlier this week and in falls in line with Saints’ recent transfer policy that has reaped huge benefits both financially, and on the field of play.
[ MORE: Can United win the title? ]
Last summer a huge exodus saw five key players leave for transfer fees in excess of $130 million, while Nathaniel Clyne and Schneiderlin have left this summer to bring in another $60 million. That money was spent wisely last season on foreign imports as Koeman’s connections in Holland helped out, and Clasie’s signing points towards the Saints once again buying shrewdly after selling on their stars.
With their Europa League third qualifying round games fast approaching, a new center back and perhaps another forward option will be brought in but Clasie became Saints’ fifth signing of this summer as Juanmi, Cedric Soares, Marteen Stekelenburg and Cuco Martina have all arrived already for a combined total of $28 million. Not bad.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key ins and outs over the past two summers, with Saints making a tidy profit in transfer fees and replacing international players with, well, other international players:
2015-16
- Nathaniel Clyne sold for $20 million - Cedric Soares bought for $8 million
- Morgan Schneiderlin sold for $40 million - Jordy Clasie bought for $12 million
2014-15
- Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana sold for $42.5 million - Shane Long, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane bought for $52 million combined
- Luke Shaw sold for $42 million - Ryan Bertrand bought for $15 million
- Dejan Lovren sold for $30 million - Toby Alderweireld (Loan deal, has since signed for Tottenham Hotspur)
Southampton are now joined by a few other PL teams (Swansea and Stoke City to name two) in becoming feeder teams for the perennial top six clubs. With Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all buying from Saints over the past 12 months, they have paid extremely high fees for players who have proven they can perform in the PL. In turn, Saints go out and unearth other gems from abroad for half that price and the cycle goes on and on.
[ MORE: Sterling signs for Man City in $75 million deal ] And if you bring Swansea into the equation, they sold on Wilfried Bony for a huge fee to Manchester City and then brought in Bafetimbi Gomis and Andre Ayew as replacements. The big question here is: why don’t clubs like United, City or Liverpool go and buy a Clasie, Bony or Soares before the likes of Southampton do? Well, they want the finished product right away and teams like Southampton and Swansea are willing to be patient with players and are duly rewarded, financially, when it comes to letting them move on to bigger and better things and teams who can offer regular UEFA Champions League soccer and can challenge for trophies.
Sure, the big boys splash ridiculous cash but clubs like Saints and Swansea battling away in the top 10 and trying to break into the top six should be applauded for their mastery of the transfer market.
