Southampton are renowned for their top-class youth academy and also have one of the best scouting teams in the Premier League.
Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott are arguably their most famous academy graduates, with both enjoying successful careers at the highest level.
But the Saints have also consistently managed to bring in some of the greatest prospects in the game, only to help them take their game to the next level and then sell at a healthy profit.
Liverpool in particular love a Southampton player!
In recent years, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, Danny Ings and Dejan Lovren all swapped Southampton in favour of a move to Anfield.
Who were their best outgoing deals, though, and which players earned them the most money?
Southampton most expensive player sales by season
Season | Biggest sale | Fee | Total sales |
2022/23 | None | Nil | Nil |
2021/22 | Danny Ings | £26.48M | £54.33M |
2020/21 | Pierre-Emile Hojberg | £14.94M | £23.67M |
2019/20 | Matt Targett | £13.95M | £24.57M |
2018/19 | Dusan Tadic | £12.33M | £23.49M |
2017/18 | Virgil van Dijk | £76.19M | £88.52M |
2016/17 | Sadio Mane | £37.08M | £76.55M |
2015/16 | Morgan Schneiderlin | £31.50M | £47.43M |
2014/15 | Luke Shaw | £33.75 | £111.45M |
2013/14 | Jason Puncheon | £1.98M | £3.78M |
2012/13 | None | Nil | Nil |
2011/12 | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | £12.42M | £12.91M |
2010/11 | None | Nil | Nil |
2009/10 | David McGoldrick | £1.69M | £4.57M |
2008/09 | Andrew Davies | £1.71M | £3.04M |
2007/08 | Gareth Bale | £13.23M | £27.82M |
2006/07 | Ricardo Fuller | £1.58M | £4.05M |
2005/06 | Peter Crouch/Theo Walcott | £9.45M | £26.93M |
2004/05 | James Beattie | £8.10M | £10.35M |
2003/04 | Wayne Bridge | £9.45M | £9.79M |
2002/03 | None | Nil | Nil |
2001/02 | Dean Richards | £10.94M | £13.01M |
2000/01 | Shayne Bradley | £117,000 | £131,000 |
TOTAL | £566.39M |
*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.