Southampton have made their first sale of the summer as Romain Perraud has sealed a permanent move to Real Betis.
Whilst manager Russell Martin will be keen to concentrate on adding to his squad ahead of a return to the Premier League, he knows sales are needed to raise funds and free up space for new signings.
Southampton had a number of senior players out on loan last season, with Romain Perraud one of seven players ending the campaign away from the club.
It is feasible that all those loanees except Mateusz Lis – who will again be loaned to sister club Goztepe – could be sold this summer, with the likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Lyanco and Paul Onuachu just some of those unlikely to have a future at Southampton.
Perraud has become the first of those to depart, though, as his £3 million move to La Liga side Real Betis has been confirmed.
Romain Perraud addresses Southampton fans
Perraud signed for the Saints in summer 2021, arriving from Brest for £11 million.
An aggressive left-back, Perraud was generally appreciated amongst the St Mary’s faithful and his eye for goal despite his defensive position made him an exciting player at times.
However, it quickly became clear upon Martin’s arrival last summer that the new manager didn’t consider Perraud the right fit for his playing style and a loan move to Nice was quickly arranged.
Perraud struggled to impress at Nice, starting just twice in the league before the French club opted not to trigger their option to buy included in the deal.
However, having now sealed a move to Betis, Perraud took to Instagram to issue a farewell message to supoporters.
Perraud posted a picture of him battling with Bukayo Saka with the caption: ‘Saints fans, I’m not used to communicating too much but it’s important for me to tell you a few words.
It was a huge honour to have fought for the badge during my time here. Always tried to give the best of myself without cheating despite ups and downs.
But after all, the institution is above everything. This wonderful club is back where it belongs. You deserve to continue to experience great emotions.
With the greatest of respect, thank you for everything.
All the best.’
Former Southampton players react to Perraud’s leaving message
Perraud amassed 60 appearances across his time at Southampton, scoring five goals and assisting three more.
There are many amongst the Saints fanbase who feel he is a better player than Ryan Manning and that Martin should have accommodated the Frenchman.
However, that has not happened and some of Perraud’s former teammates have responded to his leaving message on Instagram.
Moussa Djenepo, the winger who left Southampton to sign for Standard Liege, responded affectionately by saying “Mon Rom” or “My Rom” in French.
Mohamed Salisu is another player who departed the Saints last summer, and he simply responded:
Nathan Tella, who is fresh off the back of a double-winning season as Bayer Leverkusen after leaving Southampton last summer also commented on the post, saying: “Good luck brother.”
Interestingly, no current players commented on the post, but Perraud will have a fresh start in Spain where he will hope to again become a first-team regular.