Saints have announced what is the 4th signing of deadline day and the 10th signing of the summer with the announcement that Croatian central defender Duje Ćaleta-Car will join the club from Marseille on a permanent deal.

It was one in and one out in the centre of defence with Jan Bednarek joining Aston Villa on a one year loan deal and Duje Ćaleta-Car coming in from Marseille on a four-year contract.

Ćaleta-Car arrives at St Mary’s having made 132 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, helping them to a second-placed finish last term.

Prior to that, he spent four years in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, where he also played more than 100 times, while winning the Austria Bundesliga title on four successive occasions and the Austria Cup three times.

He has 23 international caps to his name and also boasts a World Cup runners-up medal as part of the Croatia squad that finished second in the 2018 tournament.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “Duje is already a very established and experienced player, who has done an impressive job at his previous clubs.

“He is a big presence on the pitch and he will bring even more quality into our centre-back group. It is important we have good depth and options in this position, and he gives us another very strong one.”

Duje Ćaleta-Car said: “It was really a crazy day. I’m very excited because I spoke with the coach, I think he is a good coach and of course the team — I watched them against Chelsea and in the games before.

“I know the way they play, they have a lot of young players, so I think I can come good in the group and be with them every day, to progress with them together.”

Photo: Action Images

codge added 23:30 - Sep 1 Somebody who can perhaps become the mentor for the rest of the young defenders and show the leadership we need in defense COYR.
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Colburn added 23:37 - Sep 1 It's difficult to comment much on today's signings, aside from AMN, who is a really good addition, but it feels like we're only a striker short of a perfect window. With the world cup interruption, there will be plenty of the season left if we have our business ready at the start of Jan.
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darthvader added 00:43 - Sep 2 Question is how we gonna fit em all in? Great window, shame psv changed their mind though
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ThereIn76 added 09:27 - Sep 2 Is he the dominating, organising, experienced CH that we've needed since the VVD and Fonte era? Let's hope so. Just for info, his name is pronounced Doo-yae Chaleta-Tsar ;)
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