While the vast majority of the media coverage as the transfer window closed was on Manchester United's acquisition of Falcao and Daley Blind, plenty of other clubs have been busy putting the final pieces of their squads together. Even with an encouraging 3-1 win at West Ham this weekend, it is clear that Ronald Koeman's Southampton are both in need of strengthening and in possession of a huge amount of spending money after the summer departures of five key players. Saints, therefore, proved one of the busier clubs on deadline day with two new players coming in to St. Mary's and five going out. Belgian international defender Toby Alderweireld had been rumoured for a move to the North East with both Newcastle and Sunderland reported to be close to securing the Atletico Madrid player's signature. It was to the other end of the country that Alderweireld has headed, though, thanks to a loan deal that will take him to the South coast for the season. Alderweireld established himself as one of the top up and coming defensive talents in Europe while at Ajax, forming a formidable pairing with Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen. His move to Madrid last summer, however, did not work out so well with Alderweireld restricted to just 12 games in the Mattresses' La Liga winning season. Even so, the acquisition of a player who in just the last few months has appeared in both the Champions League final and his country's impressive World Cup campaign is a symbol that Saints remain ambitious. It is likely that, given his own high reputation at Ajax, Koeman was instrumental in persuading Alderweireld to choose Saints, with the player saying: "The trainer likes how I play and really wanted me to come here, which is what convinced me to come." An accomplished centre back who can also play at right back, Alderweireld is comfortable in possession and good at bringing the ball out of defence. He joins a back line that is almost completely changed from last year, alongside Ryan Bertrand, Florin Gardos and keeper Fraser Forster. Meanwhile, Senegalese winger Sadio Mane has arrived on a permanent deal from Austria's Red Bull Salzburg worth in excess of £10 million, making him Saints' eighth summer signing. Mane, who was part of the Senegal team who drew with Britain and made the quarter finals at the London Olympics was also a deadline day deal for Salzburg two years ago and has only seen his reputation grow in Austria. The 22 year old hit 13 goals and managed 13 assists last season as his club won the Austrian title, attracting the interest of a number of top clubs, including Tottenham who were rumoured to be on the verge of signing Mane over the weekend. It was this ability to score from either flank that Koeman particularly praised about his new signing, who netted 45 goals in 86 games for Salzburg. "It is incredible how many goals he has scored from his position," the manager told the press, "And I hope that he will do the same for us." The double signing has rendered various players surplus to requirements at St. Mary's. Alderweireld's arrival puts slow, blunder heavy Jos Hooiveld at fifth in the pecking order for centre backs and has precipitated a move back to the Championship where he always felt more on the pace. Norwich have signed Hooiveld on loan for the season, but will look to make the move permanent if he does well. Before the Mane deal was even finalised, Saphir Taider, who arrived from Inter Milan on a season's loan with a £7 million option to buy just last month had his loan deal cancelled.
The abruptness of the announcement suggests that the Algerian international was not getting on well with Saints' managerial hierarchy and he was rumoured to be unhappy not to be given a starting place.
Taider was largely only acquired as part of the deal to rid Saints of the troublesome Dani Osvaldo, so it is debatable how welcome he was at St. Mary's in the first place. With Mane at the club the right winger would have dropped even further down the pecking order. In fact, Mane's arrival paved the way for the departure of another winger: Gaston Ramirez, who has been loaned to Hull for the season. With Shane Long going the other way earlier in the summer, Ramirez, once sent off for elbowing Long while the latter was at West Brom, has more chance of a starting place at the KC Stadium than at St. Mary's. The Tigers were busier than most this deadline day and Ramirez joins Abel Hernandez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Mohamed Diame in Steve Bruce's ever changing line-up.
Ramirez had been Saints' record signing when he arrived for around £12 million in 2012. Maybe Bruce will be able to bring out the talent that justified that huge fee in a way that three successive Southampton managers have not.
On top of the departure of Hooiveld, Ramirez and Taider, Southampton used the final day of the transfer window to loan out some of the youngsters from their famous academy to gain some experience. Promising 19 year old forward Jake Sinclair (brother of Manchester City's Scott) has joined Hibernian for the season, while England Under-19 right back Jack Stephens has returned to Swindon until January. Only time will tell how Koeman's new look eleven will fare compared with Mauricio Pochettino's last season. These latest transfers, however, combined with the weekend's solid result are a cause for cautious optimism amongst fans. The club's finest bit of transfer business, though, may yet prove to be the rejection of all offers for midfield star Morgan Schneiderlin who will remain essential in Saints' future performances.
