Fulham can hand Southampton transfer envy after £10.3m capture of World Cup player | OneFootball

Fulham completed the €12 million (£10.3 million) addition of Austrian defender David Affengruber despite Southampton's interest

The summer transfer window has officially slammed shut for another year, and as for Southampton, they must be pleased with the business they have managed to conduct.

Southampton, having started the season on -4 points following their role in the now-infamous 'spygate' scandal at the end of last season, in which they were also thrown out of the play-offs, have put that disappointment behind them.

Victories over Stoke City and Millwall followed a 2-1 defeat at Watford on the opening day, with a 1-1 draw away to Birmingham City on deadline day bringing the Saints to three points in the Championship now.

Despite seeing each of Ross Stewart, Shea Charles, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis leave the club, German head coach Tonda Eckert will likely be pleased with how the window panned out.

Southampton sold Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Aston Villa this summer

Action Images

Harwood-Bellis' £29 million departure to Aston Villa left a hole in their defence, which they have since replaced with the additions of Zach Abbott on loan from Nottingham Forest and Keven Schlotterbeck in a £3 million deal from Augsburg.

The 24-year-old made 134 appearances for the Saints across all competitions in three years at the club, remaining a mainstay in the heart of defence under the likes of Russell Martin, Ivan Juric, Will Still, and, most recently, Eckert.

Southampton fan pundit, Louis Harris, has previously stated that replacing Harwood-Bellis would be a 'tricky' task, and earmarked him as 'intstrumental'.

Replacing the once-capped England international was always going to be a difficult feat for Saints, especially his ball-playing ability, though with Schlotterbeck netting in just his second game for the club and Abbott highly-rated, Southampton will be pleased with their business.

However, Abbott was only identified after one of their other targets made it clear they were moving elsewhere, as they could yet be handed transfer envy over this missed deal.

Southampton identified David Affengruber as a potential replacement for Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Action images

According to Sacha Tavolieri via X, Southampton had earmarked Elche's Austrian centre-back David Affengruber as a potential target to replace Harwood-Bellis at the back at St Mary's.

Tavolieri reported that the club were in talks with Elche over a potential deal, but it quickly became clear that competition from elsewhere could scupper the deal, as that proved to be the case.

Premier League outfit Fulham were looking to reinforce their defensive options this summer, and sealed a deal worth €12 million (£10.3 million), plus add-ons, for the defender on deadline day.

The 25-year-old, unsurprisingly, picked the Premier League over the Championship, and whilst Southampton won't be too shocked by his decision, they will still feel disappointed nonetheless, and could be met with transfer envy should he come good in the English top flight.

Why Southampton wanted to sign David Affengruber

Action Images

Affengruber, 25, came through the ranks at Austrian giants RB Salzburg, but made just six first-team appearances for the club, instead playing predominantly for their youth side, FC Liefering, before being given a starting berth at Sturm Graz in 2021.

The once-capped Austrian international, who was a part of Ralph Hasenhuttl's squad for the recent World Cup in North America, made 126 for Sturm Graz, and made the decision to join La Liga 2 side Elche in the summer of 2024.

He'd help the club back to the top-flight in his first year there, remaining an ever-present in the heart of defence in Alicante, and stayed a pivotal part of their side in La Liga, making 36 league appearances last season.

Now, the 25-year-old is ready to take the next step of his career, as Fulham are the beneficiaries of this deal, whilst Southampton hope they won't be hit with too much transfer envy in years to come.

Tonda Eckert will be hoping to not rue missing out on David Affengruber after Fulham switch

Action Images

Eckert will have his sights firmly set on a place in the Championship top eight this season, as having been kicked out of the play-offs last time around in unprecedented circumstances, the German will feel as though he has a point to prove.

Whilst he will be disappointed to have missed out on Affengruber, both Schlotterbeck and Abbott are fine alternatives, and the Saints will remain sturdy with those pair offering competition.

Affengruber will provide competition for the likes of Joachim Andersen, Jorge Cuenca, and Calvin Basset at Craven Cottage, and though he will likely struggle to initially get in the side, the Austrian could be a mainstay before too long, as Eckert will be hoping not to rue this missed deals in years to come.