Southampton‘s luck in this summer window has been depleted further following a failed attempt at signing James Penrice from Hearts. Instead, the defender is seeking a near-finalised move abroad.
After an exceptionally disappointing relegation campaign back down to the Championship, the Saints will be looking to bounce back immediately, prioritising real promotion quality on the transfer front. One name that particularly stood out as a Southampton target, was Lawrence Shankland.
The Hearts captain has chosen to remain with the Scottish Premiership side, snubbing Southampton’s apparent interest rather quickly. Will Still’s side brought their attention towards a re-visit for James Penrice, Hearts’ starting left-back.
Twice The Snub
Fabrizio Romano, since this interest from Southampton, has announced that Penrice is the subject of an agreement between AEK Athens and the Edinburgh-based side. The 26-year-old picked up Player of the Season for Hearts last campaign and would have been a great asset for Still’s new-look side.
Penrice scored twice in a 46-game season for Hearts last season, where he also offered seven assists from left-back. In a Conference League campaign, the 26-year-old featured six times and so has earned valuable European experience in his first, and reportedly only, season with the Scottish side.
Prior to his move to Edinburgh, the defender played three seasons with Livingston in the Premiership. A total of 96 appearances were amassed there, during a three-year permanent spell. In the first half of the 2017/18 season, Livingston acquired Penrice on loan from his boyhood club, Partick Thistle. 110 appearances later with Thistle, the aforementioned permanent transfer occurred.
Slow Start To Important Business
The Saints have had a quiet start to incomings this window, with Joshua Quarshie being the only confirmed signing, for just under £3 million. Departures have left Southampton fine in numbers, but it could be argued some of the better quality options have left St. Mary’s. Kamaldeen Sulemana has completed a big-money move to Serie A side, Atalanta, while Samuel Amo-Ameyaw has been bought by Strasbourg following a successful loan spell with the Ligue 1 outfit.
Adam Lallana has retired following an underwhelming player-manager type role within the Southampton set-up last season. Kyle Walker-Peters, who has been a vital member of the squad for five years, has been released on a free.
Writer’s View
Southampton need to start persuading their first-choice options to join their project. The stance of a return to the Premier League in one season is quite realistic, but the squad could be seen as too complacent at the moment.
There is no doubt that the talent in Still’s team is superior to most of the second division’s, but having been relegated following a 12-point season, morale will be at an all-time low. This snub from Shankland and Penrice seriously won’t have helped these ambitions.
