"Disastrous" - Southampton questioned for Ross Stewart transfer fee as new blow emerges | OneFootball

FLW's Southampton fan pundit has reacted to Ross Stewart's latest injury setback

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Ross Stewart’s injury woes have continued with another fitness setback for the Southampton striker.

Game time has been hard to come by for the Scotland international since his move from Sunderland late in the 2023 summer transfer window.

It was reported that the deal was worth £8 million, with a further £4 million included through add-ons, but he has been unable to live up to that price tag in the years since.

He’s played a total of 28 times in the league in the last two years, including in eight of the first nine games of this campaign.

While he’s scored twice in this run of games, it’s now been claimed that the forward is set for a scan after he suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s 1-1 draw against Derby County.

Ross Stewart move has been disastrous

When asked if the club overpaid for Stewart in 2023, FLW’s Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders claimed they absolutely did, and that it’s been a disastrous spell for him at St. Mary’s

He also believes the Hampshire outfit paid over the odds for Damion Downs, criticising his start to life with the team as well.

“They signed a player that was injured, so it was always going to end in disaster, for me,” Sanders told Football League World.

“They speak about him down on the south coast as the man made out glass, but we all want him to do well, I want him to do well.

“But, to play three games in a week was always going to be a massive, massive ask of Ross Stewart.

“He’s a good player, and I hope it works out for him, but Saints paid too much for him and they paid too much for Damion Downs as well.

“Downs is £7 million, and he’s been an absolute disaster for us.

“So, yeah, definitely overpaid for him, absolutely, they signed a player that was injured when they were trying to get out of the Championship that season.

“Obviously, we got out of it but he never played any role in it, was injured for the whole of the Premier League campaign, and just struggled to get any rhythm.

“It has been a disastrous spell for him.”

Southampton’s poor start to the season

Southampton have won just one of their last eight league games, with the team struggling for form since returning to the Championship.

Will Still will be under pressure after the October international break, as this run of form continuing will get fans on his back sooner rather than later.

Losing Stewart will be a big blow for the 32-year-old coach, especially as it was his brace against Sheffield United that secured their most recent victory.

Next up for the Saints is a home clash against Swansea City on 18 October in a 12.30pm kick-off.

Ross Stewart’s injuries have hampered a very promising career

Stewart was a key part of Sunderland’s promotion from League One to the Championship, and the form he showed for the club in the second tier highlighted the potential he had.

That potential meant Southampton paid a hefty fee to sign him two years ago, but injuries have persistently kept him out of the team, which has been a real shame.

He is someone that could’ve been very important to the club, and he could’ve really proven his worth if he’d been able to stay fit.

It was a risk to sign him because he was already injured when the Saints agreed a deal with Sunderland, but there was no predicting it would be quite this bad when the move was finalised.