There was a sense of foreboding about Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League last season, as if it was inevitable and would happen sooner rather than later.
The Saints were one of many teams that consistently drew close to the trap door, frequently eking out victories by a hair’s breadth, and finished no higher than 15th in four of their previous five seasons.
Their predicament was exacerbated by St Mary’s turning into a recruiting ground for teams like Liverpool and Manchester United, which perpetually drained the team of its top players, including Luke Shaw, Virgil van Dijk, and Sadio Mane.
While Southampton was known for finding talents from other European leagues or releasing players from their youth academy, they struggled to make up for the quality that was lost during the 2018 summer transfer window.
Even though Jannik Vestegaard, Angus Gunn, Stuart Armstrong, and Danny Ings all joined, the signing of quick-footed Basel winger Mohamed Elyounoussi, who did so at the height of his stardom after breaking onto the scene as a highly-rated winger, was the worst letdown of them all.
Mohamed Elyounoussi cost Southampton how much?
Dusan Tadic left Southampton for Ajax in the summer of 2018 for a devastating £10 million loss, while Mohamed Elyounoussi from Basel, who cost £18 million, took his place.
The Saints considered that cost to be a bargain at the time. The quick-footed winger has amassed astounding stats in the Swiss Super League, making 84 games for Basel over two seasons and contributing 53 goals, including a goal and an assist in the Champions League quarterfinals against Manchester City.
The star from Morocco had all the makings of a player who could dominate the Premier League and was destined to become a world-beater. Elyounoussi has the potential to make a mockery of the price tag due to his blistering pace, low center of gravity for gliding past defenders, and ability to play on a large stage.
When he first arrived, Saints manager Mark Hughes was eager to work with such a gifted player and convinced that the 23-year-old could fulfill the promise of his formative years.
