Some transfers work out well, some don’t and as far as Southampton and Wesley Hoedt are mutually concerned the £15m deal that brought the latter to St Mary’s in the summer of 2017 was not one that could be described a success. The selling club, Lazio had reasons to be pleased, however, because having obtained the tall central defender on a free transfer just two seasons before they now banked a tidy profit.

Les Read, Southampton’s Director of Football had endured a torrid summer, not only having to find a new manager to replace Claude Puel but also dealing with a truculent Virgil van Dijk who, unsettled by an illegal approach from Liverpool, was being uncooperative in training for the new boss, Mauricio Pellegrino. Read was adamant that the want-away player would not be allowed to leave but having already purchased another centre-half earlier that close season when Jan Bednarek had arrived so Hoedt’s signing, surely signalled there was a good chance van Dijk’s agitation would pay off. Read was quick to insinuate that would not be the case “Hoedt has proven his talent through his performances at Lazio (46 apps in Serie A) as well as the Netherlands and we believe he can develop even further here at Southampton alongside his teammate Virgil van Dijk” he said.

In the end the two Dutch internationals partnered each other just five times in the Premier League before van Dijk celebrated Xmas 2017 with a move to Anfield. Hoedt continued to keep his place in the heart of the defence for the remainder of the season partnering Stephens or Bednarek as the club just escaped relegation after Mark Hughes had replaced the hapless Pellegrino.

The following year he started the first 13 league games but then lost his place as Hughes was sacked and a new broom arrived. Ralph Hasenhuttl made his mind up very quickly on Hoedt’s worth to the team, never once picking him, he loaned him initially to Spanish football where he got sent off in his first Celta Vigo outing and then, in the late summer of 2019, he accepted a year’s long loan at Royal Antwerp, although the year was curtailed when the Belgians ended their season prematurely when Covid 19 descended on Europe.

The fans never took to Wesley, he had something of a haughtiness about him and although he could appear stylish and was good enough to represent his country, he never looked at home in the Premier League. He finally left Southampton on a permanent basis in June 2021