Southampton FC face £84m transfer envy - Russell Martin was ahead of the curve | OneFootball

Southampton will be looking on at envy if West Ham sell Mateus Fernandes for £84m this summer

Southampton are in the hunt for promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.

The Saints beat Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate in their semi-final clash, and will now face Hull City at Wembley for a place in the top flight.

Tonda Eckert’s side enjoyed a strong second half of the campaign, including a 19-game unbeaten run, which propelled them into the top six in the final weeks.

The Hampshire outfit rose to fourth in the table, missing out on automatic promotion by four points.

Southampton will already have one eye on the summer transfer window regardless of what division they’ll be competing in next year.

If the club can win against the Tigers, then they will be once again planning for life in the Premier League just 12 months on from their relegation to the Championship.

Southampton face West Ham envy this summer

Southampton last earned promotion in 2024, also through the play-offs, when Russell Martin guided the team to a fourth place finish in the table.

When the Saints beat Leeds United to earn their place in the top flight, the club spent big on a number of players that ultimately proved not good enough to keep the team in the division beyond one season.

The likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Aaron Ramsdale, Flynn Downes and Cameron Archer were all signed for big money on a permanent basis.

However, Martin proved ahead of the curve when he brought Mateus Fernandes to St. Mary’s from Sporting Clube de Portugal.

It was reported that Southampton spent roughly £15 million to bring him to England in a bid to bolster their creative output for life in the Premier League.

While the club struggled to compete in the top flight, coming 20th in the table, the Portuguese playmaker still stood out as an impressive talent.

He could only contribute two goals and four assists, but it was hardly a surprise when he was one of the few players poached by a Premier League side following their relegation.

Southampton will now be feeling quite envious of West Ham, who signed the midfielder for a reported £38 million fee.

While the Hammers are sitting in the relegation zone at the moment, it’s been claimed that the London outfit have set an £84 million price tag amid interest from the likes of Manchester United.

Southampton missed out on a major windfall with Mateus Fernandes

A fee of £84 million would more than double the figure that Southampton earned from the sale of Fernandes 12 months ago.

The midfielder has again stood out as a high calibre player under Nuno Espírito Santo, providing three goals and three assists in a struggling side.

Southampton supporters won’t be surprised at the figure being touted, and it’s the kind of money the club could’ve been able to hold out for if they had performed better in their previous Premier League campaign.

Tyler Dibling was another major sale last summer following their relegation, with the youngster departing for a reported £40 million.

Had Southampton been able to remain in the top flight, keeping one or even both of these players could’ve been possible.

If the Saints can gain promotion again this year, the possible £84 million sale of Fernandes will highlight the importance of finding transfer targets more akin to his quality rather than that of players like Archer and Ramsdale.

Even with West Ham battling against relegation, the 21-year-old has managed to post 1.08 chances created per 90 while playing in a deeper midfield role in a team that haven’t had much of the ball (all stats courtesy of Fotmob).

He’s shown a defensive mettle that has helped make the Hammers more competitive, winning 6.04 duels per 90, while also completing 3.07 tackles and 1.04 interceptions each game on average.

Even if West Ham go down, the £84 million price tag is a potentially fair valuation of his growing importance to the side, and it shows how far he has come since leaving Southampton just last summer.