Football League World
·6 September 2023
Football League World
·6 September 2023
The EFL transfer window may be closed for incomings - free agents aside of course - but there are players still being targeted by clubs in nations that are still open for business.
One of those is Belgium, whose window closes later on Wednesday and their outfits are closing out their final transfers for the season ahead.
A few Championship players have been lined up in the final days of the window, and Southampton have managed to strike a deal with Standard Liege for a player that was seemingly not in head coach Russell Martin's plans.
And it is a transfer that takes an individual back to his former home as four years after he arrived at St Mary's Stadium from Standard for £14 million, Moussa Djenepo is heading back to his first ever professional club.
Southampton confirmed his departure on Tuesday, with 25-year-old penning a three-year deal with Carl Hoefkens' side -Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that the fee for the transfer is in the region of €3.5 million (£3 million), representing a massive £11 million loss.
Following confirmation of his move back to Standard Liege, Djenepo has penned a message to Southampton supporters in the wake of his exit.
"It is with great emotion that I write this message to say goodbye to you," Djenepo wrote on Instagram.
"After wonderful years together, it is time for me to take a new path in my career.
"I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the unforgettable moments we shared and all the beautiful friendships created. I will hold a special place in my heart for each of you.
"It’s not a farewell but just a goodbye.
"I wish the club all the best and happiness in the future.
"Thanks again for everything, See you soon, Moussa."
Truth be told, Southampton never really got the best out of Djenepo, but perhaps he wasn't good enough to make an impact on a regular basis in the Premier League.
The Malian suffered a lot either from niggling injuries or just not really being selected on a consistent basis by whichever manager was in charge of him at the time - some of it was down to luck and perhaps other times was just not showing enough in training and in his peformances on the pitch.
Scoring just the five goals and notching a further five assists in his 91 appearances, a bit more was expected of Djenepo, but he did not really deliver on the price-tag that the Saints actually paid for him.