Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons has said it is unlikely the club will say yes to any transfer offers made this summer.
Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons has said the club will not be forced to sell anyone on the cheap this summer amid ongoing transfer speculation over their players.
The Saints were relegated from the Premier League last season and must now balance the books by selling off some of their players, with the top clubs already keen on picking the best options and hoping they can hit the mark. get a bargain.
Belgium midfielder Romeo Lavia is one such player, with Southampton valuing the teenager at around £50m amid Liverpool’s continued interest.
The Reds have put the defensive midfielder at the top of their wish list after losing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League in the summer. Jurgen Klopp’s side have had two rejected offers for Lavia, the latter of which is believed to be around £41m. Lavia was left on the bench on Friday night as Southampton began their Championship campaign with a 2-1 win over Sheffield on Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Depending on when Liverpool submit a third offer for the midfielder, as they are expected to do, Lavia could once again be on the bench when Southampton host Norwich at St Mary’s next Saturday.
Either way, Parsons says the club will not accept any offers just because they have been relegated.
“We have more than 30 players and we don’t need more than 30 players,” he told BBC Radio Solent. “We’re really in a position to have a pretty good financial balance and you’ll be relegated. We can cut the team, we can sell the property if we want. We won’t sell the property to you. good on the market . That’s why we’ve stood firm on some.
“We’re going to develop a lot of players over the next few years and there will be players joining the top four clubs, but we’re not going to do it cheaply, we’re going to do it at speed. If clubs want to make offers, We will consider them, we will not just say yes to any offer.
“The players have been fantastic. It was a new experience for me to deal with them. We have very good players in this team and they all want to do well but at the same time they also want to perform well on the pitch.
“Southampton is a great club and if you’re doing well for Southampton and deserve a move then maybe we’ll look into it but first let’s focus on Southampton and do well, then we’ll see. talk about other clubs later.”
