The revamping of the Southampton squad under Russell Martin has seen only youngsters in up to now, but now comes news of the first real signing for the new Saints manager, who has signed one his old Swansea City players.

The first signing of the Russell Martin era is Ryan Manning who joins on a free transfer after running down his contract with Swansea City at the end of last season.

southamptonfc.com announced that the 27 year old would be joining his ex boss on a 4 year deal.

Manning who joined Swansea in October 2020 started 86 Championship games plus another 12 as sub for Swansea, scoring 7 goals in the process.

Primarily a left back, he has the engine to get forward at pace and also to get back behind the ball and can also play as a left wing back or central midfielder.

Last season was his 7th successive position in the Championship, playing for Queens Park Rangers, Rotherham and finally Swansea City, he has also won 6 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

From a Saints perspective it is a bargain as he has cost us nothing, but his arrival casts a shadow over the future of Romain Perraud in the left back position.

On the face of it Perraud has more class and at around £10 million is around four times the value that Manning is quoted as on transfermarkt.co.uk

Saints announced the signing with Russell Martin having this to say.

"Firstly, he's a brilliant character. He's got a real edge to him. He's got a fantastic personality, a lot of energy and was a really important member of our group at Swansea, not just on the pitch but off it as well.

“In terms of on the pitch, he's an outstanding footballer who has a brilliant understanding of what we want. He played in a few positions for us previously, and he's coming here as a left-back because he ended up performing as one of the best left-backs in the division last year.

“We've beaten competition from two clubs in the Premier League for him, which I'm really pleased about, because I thought the lure of that would make it difficult for us, but he's come here because he knows the work and he believes in it.”

Ryan Manning said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be here. I'm over the moon and I can't wait to get started. It's a massive club, been in the Premier League for so many years, and I'm just excited about the challenge of getting it back there.

"With the gaffer coming here, knowing his style of football and how he wants his team to play, it felt like a perfect fit for me where the club and the manager lined up.

"You're coming to a Premier League football club that's in the Championship, so the ambition is promotion and nothing else, and that's exactly what I was looking for as the next move in my career. I think it's the perfect club for me to come to, the ambition is massive and everyone as a collective is working towards getting back to the Premier League.”

So the first signing of the Russell Martin era has arrived and the rebuild begun.

Photo: Action Images

halftimeorange added 21:43 - Jul 11 I don't envy the job Russell Martin has on his hands, not knowing who to play in warm-up matches and who won't be with us much longer but, I had hoped that Perraud, who I believe is under-rated, would be here for next season. This signing seems to dispense with that thought. I guess we'll be getting used to quite a few disappointments in the coming weeks.
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cocklebreath added 22:31 - Jul 11 Looks a good signing to me, Perraud never looked fit
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highfield49 added 10:01 - Jul 12 Russell Martin describes Ryan Manning as having character, personality and energy before even mentioning his talent as a footballer. This could be a big bonus for the new season because supporters react positively to that combination of attributes. Those of us who remember Mark Dennis on the rampage will be hoping that Manning can produce similar enthusiasm, albeit with a few less suspensions.

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Ifonly added 11:31 - Jul 12 I'm sure there are a few ex-opponents who still remember Mark Dennis as well, as they hobble around on crutches. Hopefully Ryan Manning will play with a bit more control or he wont be on the pitch for long. It was a different game back then.
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Block8 added 12:16 - Jul 12 I happen to like Perraud (Nick grinds his teeth) but maybe he is moving on or with two goals and 2 assists from LB he's moving forward. Either that or we're now collecting left backs?
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WestSussexSaint added 12:32 - Jul 12 I am a big fan of Peraud give the shear effort he put in on the pitch. That said I don’t think his “bomb forward” style fits with the possession based approach Martin wants and Peraud always looked a bit iffy with ball at his feet in tight defence situations. I assume Juan Larios is being retained but there must continue to be questions over his fitness after a long injury lay-off.

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SaintPaulVW added 13:46 - Jul 12 I like Perraud but I suspect KWP will probably be on his way. After all with a 40% wage cut, we aren't going to keep everyone. So this move makes sense. Russ M brings a bit of experience which is going to help the younger players. Still hungry to get to the Prem by sounds of it which is just what we need. Good business in my book.
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