Russell Martin started the summer transfer window addressing Southampton’s defence before gradually improving the forward areas building up to the season.
Southampton signed a total of 14 first-team players this summer as Russell Martin had the unenviable task of building a squad capable of staying in the Premier League.
Defenders Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Taylor, Yukinari Sugawara, Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Wood all signed relatively early in the summer, with Flynn Downes and Lesley Ugochukwu arguably two more defensive additions.
The forward areas were addressed eventually, with the arrivals of Ben Brereton Diaz and Cameron Archer the two strikers Southampton saw fit to bring to the club to help in front of goal.
Aaron Ramsdale was signed to keep the ball out the net at the other end for up to £25 million on Deadline Day, but it has now emerged that Southampton could have broke their transfer record on another player before the summer business concluded.
Southampton saw £25m bid turned down for Fotis Ioannidis
So far, both Brereton Diaz and Archer are yet to score in the Premier League for the Saints since their arrivals.
Archer has got off the mark for his new club, scoring a brace in the 5-3 Carabao Cup win over Cardiff City, and will feel he deserves a chance to start Southampton’s next game against Manchester United on Saturday.
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However, Martin could have seen another centre-forward added to his ranks late in the summer in a marquee move, but Southampton saw a huge bid rejected for a Greek International striker.
That is according to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, who posted on X: “Before the end of the transfer market, Southampton made an offer to Panathinaikos for Fotis Ioannidis.
“Offer at €30 million (£25m) plus bonus. Offer has been rejected.”
Ioannidis deal would have been huge risk for Southampton
Given this is the fee Southampton agreed to pay Arsenal for Ramsdale, perhaps the club would have missed out on the goalkeeper had they signed Ioannidis.
The Panathinaikos striker scored 23 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions last season but Southampton have been stung having signed a striker prolific in a so-called ‘lesser’ league in the recent past with Paul Onuachu.
The £18 million signing of Onuachu in January 2023 is a mistake Southampton are still trying to rectify so perhaps moves for Brereton Diaz and Archer represent less risk given both their fee and experience of the Premier League.
Whilst Ioannidis may well have thrived in the Premier League, it would have been a real gamble for Sport Republic to spend so much money on a striker unproven in a top league.
However, if goals continue to be hard to come by perhaps this is a deal Martin can convince the Saints hierarchy to revisit in January.