Here, Southampton FC News rank Southampton’s most expensive transfer sales in the club’s history.
Southampton have a reputation for making big profits on promising young talents, whether that be players they have signed cheap or that have progressed through the club’s famous academy.
After a period of poor recruitment saw Southampton eventually succumb to relegation from the Premier League last season, it is a transfer strategy that the club seem to be returning to. The likes of Sam Edozie and Shea Charles, both signed from Manchester City with the guarantee of a pathway to first-team football, evidence of this.
For young players with talent, joining Southampton and developing for two to three seasons before moving on for a big fee is a well trodden path. Fans will hope that no big departures are imminent, however Kyle Walker-Peters is the subject of transfer interest this month and it is likely the fee the full-back would comment would see him slot comfortably into the list of Southampton’s ten most expensive sales.
So who are Southampton’s record transfer departures of all-time? We at Southampton FC News have listed the top 10 biggest fees the Saints have ever received for their players below.
Southampton’s most expensive transfer sales ever
10 – Dejan Lovren – £21.6m
Dejan Lovren
To: Liverpool
Date sold: July 2013
Southampton appearances: 31
9 – Danny Ings – £25m
Danny Ings
To: Aston Villa
Date sold: August 2021
Southampton appearances: 100
8 – Adam Lallana – £26.5m
Adam Lallana
To: Liverpool
Date sold: July 2014
Southampton appearances: 265
7 – James Ward-Prowse – £30m
James Ward-Prowse
To: West Ham United
Date sold: August 2023
Southampton appearances: 410
6 – Morgan Schneiderlin – £30m
Morgan Schneiderlin
To: Manchester United
Date sold: July 2015
Southampton appearances: 261
5 – Luke Shaw – £30m
Luke Shaw
To: Manchester United
Date sold: July 2014
Southampton appearances: 67
4 – Sadio Mane – £34m
Sadio Mane
To: Liverpool
Date sold: July 2016
Southampton appearances: 75
3 – Tino Livramento – £40m
Tino Livramento
To: Newcastle United
Date sold: August 2023
Southampton appearances: 34
2 – Roméo Lavia – £58m
Roméo Lavia
To: Chelsea
Date sold: August 2023
Southampton appearances: 34
1 – Virgil Van Dijk – £75m
Virgil Van Dijk
To: Liverpool
Date sold: January 2018
Southampton appearances: 80