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Southampton owner Gao Jisheng continues to be a much-maligned figure within most pockets of the city.
But whatever you may think about the Chinese businessman and the aloof manner in which he operates, he may just get lucky.
Things may look bleak right now, but whisper it in hushed tones; the esteemed Southampton conveyor is showing signs of coming back to life. While the club’s long-term strategy is somewhat opaque, given the unceasing speculation that the club is up for sale and openly searching around the market for a significant investor, Saints do have a precocious set of youngsters potentially capable of easing the financial angst.
Mr Gao is believed to value Southampton at £200 million, a similar figure to how much he paid for his 80 percent stake nearly four years ago. And until he finds a trustworthy buyer, who also manages to pass the Premier League’s ‘fit-and-proper test’, it is common knowledge that he will not proffer a single penny from his pocket into the south coast club.
So with all that being said, and Southampton very much living a hand-to-mouth existence, could a group of under-21’s prove to be Gao’s own troubleshooter? Whatever the fall-out from this season, there is an inarguable case that some aspects of the future are promising.
With talent bubbling away in the background and being streamlined by Matt Crocker, a powerful composition is beginning to be concocted for a club depleted of money and outside investment.
With an unforeseen and unplanned pandemic exacerbating Southampton’s shortfall of capital, the Gao era has been littered with an acute sense of unfulfillment for many supporters. Taking over a club that seemed to have plenty of boxes ticked and a steep potential for financial and institutional growth, the last four years has seen Southampton stagnate, deteriorating from a European-seeking side to one that scrimps and saves to just stay in the Premier League.
It’s rather clear to see that both sides haven’t got what they hoped for out of the deal. Fans wanted investment, Gao wanted his profile and reputation elevated. Neither, as yet, have come to fruition.
Firmly in wedlock and trapped in a loveless marriage, the two parties have to see things through until fresh hope can be imparted.
‘A saving grace is something positive in an otherwise bad situation.’ – Vocabulary.com
But there is one thing that may ease the burden along. A ‘saving grace’ is commonly described after an incident or situation manages to find a light-bulb moment in the midst of turbulence. What is transpiring within the undercurrents of Staplewood might well just be that.
As this season has hinted in parts, Southampton have got a core group of young, hungry individuals, ready and waiting to be sculpted to model standards. More pertinently for their owner, they all have far-reaching scope for improvement.
And with chief executive Martin Semmens and managing director Toby Steele always looking for different ways to free-up money which can enable the squad to be improved, possessing a band of youthful, vibrant players who will only get better under Ralph Hasenhuttl, might just be the good fortune they so desperately need.
Since those who are in charge of the day-to-day running of the club only allowed to spend what they raise, a new generation of talent could either provide ample replacements for outgoings or yield significant sell-on potential.
There are currently nine players at the club (not including any now out on loan) who are under the age of 21 and have made first-team appearances this season. Seven of the nine have come through the academy’s incremental age-group stages, or in the case of Nathan Tella and Alexandre Jankewitz, been scouted as a teenager.
The other two have been signed in last summer’s window after Southampton shift narrative and revamped their scouting system. At just 21-years-old, Ibrahima Diallo appears to be the first to bear the fruits of the appointment of Matt Crocker, the club’s director of football. Diallo’s acquisition came on the back off rigorous scouting, sieving through a wealth of data analytics and heavy monitoring.
The success of the central midfielder until his injury should set the paradigm for the club’s streamlined recruitment strategy, having moved away from ad hoc methods of Crocker’s predecessors. The modernised, analytically-charged shift will not only ensure there is enough evidence to go ahead and buy a player, but more chance of unearthing a diamond in the rough for a relatively low fee.
The second signing of the window was Mohammad Salisu, who also is just 21-years-old. In the modern game, left-footed centre-backs have grown to be a precious commodity, due to their aesthetically pleasing ball playing style and their propensity to open different passing lanes that a right-footed centre-back simply cannot do.
Reasons for this can be ten-fold: passing angles, different trajectories, spin variations on the ball. Possessing a southpaw when constructing play from deep means additional lanes are opened up, making it more difficult for an opposing team to combat.
Still in the adolescent stages of a career as a centre-back, Salisu has already amassed the physical qualities and has enough time to refine his decision making in possession. In turn, this could mean he becomes the club’s long-term centre-back or has vast potential to be sold on for much higher than the £10.9 million fee Southampton paid for him.
After providing one of the few bright sparks in otherwise dark nights at Leeds and Everton, Nathan Tella has added options in the forward positions for Hasenhuttl. Former team-mate and Southampton defender Will Wood tells Prost International that the 21-year-old has all the qualities to become a permanent fixture in the side: “If you’re a fullback, he’s the worst type of player to come up against.”
“He’s so direct and just wants to get at you. I can see him playing regularly in the first team but he’s done so well to keep improving. You see Nathan now coming in and he’s doing really well. The manager looks like he trusts him.”
Joining Saints in April 2017 after a decade in North London with Arsenal, Tella’s formative years spent doing gymnastics is apparent, given the way he glides across the pitch. Fast, direct and already showing indications of possessing a good end-product, Tella appears to be a player of future value.
One of Tella’s close-friends Michael Obafemi, has followed a similar career path. Locating down south following spells at Chelsea, Arsenal and Watford, the Irish International has been floating around the first-team for three seasons. Highly-rated by Hasenhuttl, it remains to be seen if Obafemi can translate training ground performances into meaningful contributions in games.
“If you’ve ever seen him play, his pace is just ridiculous,” says Wood. “He is so fast, I think he could get past absolutely anyone so it’s obvious why he initially broke through into the first team.” Still only 20, Obafemi has plenty of room for development, once he recovers back to full fitness.
There might be a feeling that this current short-term pain will eventually turn out to be for long-term gain. While rewards do not appear to be forthcoming in the immediate future, those within the club do anticipate the academy will start to come good, sooner rather than latter.
19-year-old Alexandre Jankewitz is a major reason why. It is understood key figures within the youth set-up believe Jankewitz has the highest ceiling out of all the players coming through. The central midfielder is seen as a unique talent and someone who possesses an innate maturity and physical prowess that is well above his years. Jankewitz, a Switzerland under-19 international, is thought to be diligent and hard-working in his approach, displaying an ambition that should make his transition into first team football relatively plain sailing.
With talks in regards to his future set to take place upon the conclusion of this season, it is not yet clear as to whether his future doe lie on the south coast. But with Oriol Romeu out for the rest of the campaign and Diallo not yet match fit, there is a window of flagrant opportunity for Jankewitz to establish himself as a key individual in the team.
Along with Jankewitz, the likes of Will Smallbone (21), Caleb Watts (19) and Dan N’Lundulu (who just turned 22 last month), have all got the requisite ability and mentality to break through and become a player of worth at Southampton, whether that’s within the long-term plans or for future fees elsewhere.
Not only could this particular group add further competition for places, but also a hunger and youthful drive a flagging squad might need over the next year to 18 months. 20-year-old Kayne Ramsey can also be listed amongst that group, having signed a new and improved two-year-deal this week. It is likely that Hasenhuttl sees Ramsey’s future as a centre-back and will hope to utilise him more in that role once the right-back void can be filled.
Even younger and a few rungs down the ladder of their development is 18-year-old Kegs Chauke, a player who with Watts, made his debut in the FA Cup tie with Shrewsbury. Born in 2003, Chauke is currently being considered as one of two options by Hasenhuttl to take a role in the side’s ‘number 6’ position. Speaking last week, the Saints boss said Jankewitz and Chauke are the two primary options available, given the absence of Romeu and Diallo.
While Gao’s lack of funding or indeed, apparent interest in the club, making it virtually impossible for Southampton to seek solutions to solve their woes in the transfer market, a fearless group of 20-somethings might just prove to be their light-bulb moment.
Whether that is playing a starring role at Saints or a move elsewhere, there is an opportunity for the club to call upon the academy for some much-needed resources.
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