As Goal.com said, “The Saints have picked up a useful habit of acquiring top talent since returning to the Premier League, but they have also struggled to hold onto it”

Here’s a £181.5m Soton sold XI according to Goal.com:

Then, going back years to other ex-Soton players, you could include: Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and even Gareth Bale.

If this Southampton squad were still playing together, where would you think they stand last season?

lmao who voted Top4?

This a very good team but I don' think they would make it into top four, maybe if you add Gareth Bale. Would say that this team biggest weakness however would be its defense. :S

Edit: So thought about it, the cost of this squad today would propably be worth twice that amount if not even more. :O

Replace Lambert with Jay Rodriguez who recently joined West Brom for £15,000,000 rather than Lambert who joined Liverpool for £4,000,000 and Callum Chambers moved to Arsenal for £16,000,000 which I think was more than Liverpool paid for Clyne £12,500,000 so the total price of the XI would change if you replace it with these 2 players who cost more but Lambert played better than Jay Rodriguez as he was enjoying one of his best seasons with Southampton and Clyne is a decent right back as well as Chambers but however Clyne would be the winner SO the total XI that Southampton have sold if Rodriguez and Chambers were added instead would be approximately £194,000,000. Keep in mind if Van Dijk leaves (which I hope he doesn't) then with Van Dijk on the team they can definitely finish top 5 in my opinion.

@aiden not sure the point is how much they were sold for i think its saying how good southampton could have been if they had kept all their players so rodriguez and chambers wouldnt make it as they arent as good

@Juanmata10 I didn't. But it may have been possible coz they players night have gotten a lot better if they stayed where they were. Lallana, mane, Loren, Shaw, schneiderlin

Voted top 8, but I'd rather vote top 4 than top 12.

Meanwhile Monaco will get 140m for a youngster coming for free and having less than 20 league games at his palmarès... thug life.

Those who say "Southampton failed to hold onto talent" don't seem to understand that Southampton don't even try. Their scouting/youth development is good that selling high and buying low is a legitimate strategy for them. Besides, it's missing the point.

Not saying the club doesn't have ambition, but the world looks different when your franchise isn't made of money the way the clubs that everyone whose commented so far is.

To answer the question : top 12 for me, having great individuals does not guarantee you success, club atmosphere, dressing room coexistence, tactical and technical match... plus i don't rate half of these players as good ones... and the only great one imo is Mane.
As an example, before Klopp these players added to other good ones were failing to impress at Liverpool which is a better institution with big History, healthy pressure and high performance demand...

@Tiki_taka Clyne is pretty solid too don't you think?

Yeah he might have one or two good seasons at his disposal, can be considered as a great player but he lacks winning experience, i think he has never won a silverware. I like him personally but i dont rate him higher than his actual level. Sagna level. Fonte is also not bad, he won first Sevilla Europa league but had some so-so seasons.
That being said it remains only my point and my own guess, i may underrate some if you ask me.