Top 10 clubs that increased the overall value of their squad in the transfer market

9) Southampton: Increased by €221m

It’s high time Southampton stopped being a feeder club

Expenditure: €182m

Value: €403m

The Saints had been doing reasonably well after gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2012 and have seen steady progress in the years since. They finished 14^th in their first season back in the top division and followed it up with top half finishes of eighth, seventh and sixth in the last three years.

Under the guidance of stalwarts such as Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, there seemed to be hope in spite of other clubs treating Southampton like a shopping destination for their players (hello, Liverpool). This season has seen them struggle under Claude Puel and they currently lie in 11^th place.

Dusan Tadic is currently the club’s most valuable player at £14.5m followed closely by centre-back Virgil van Dijk at £13.6m. The club also has other valuable players who are also targets for top clubs such as England goalkeeper Fraser Forster, full-back Ryan Bertrand and Jay Rodriguez whose value has risen considerably following his return from injuries in seasons past.