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In June 2018, Southampton sold attacking midfielder Dusan Tadic to Dutch club Ajax for £10million, as reported by the BBC.
What they’re missing
The switch brought the 61-cap Serbia international’s time at St Mary’s Stadium to an end after four campaigns with the south coast club. In his time in the Premier League, the 30-year-old showed flashes of real quality, and was often one of the Saints’ more dynamic and creative players.
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However, since joining the Eredivisie outfit he has taken his game to another level. So far this season, Tadic has racked up 25 goals and 13 assists in all competitions for Ajax, as per Transfermarkt’s stats.
Southampton themselves have gone backwards since Tadic’s departure. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are currently mired in a relegation scrap and all too often look devoid of invention, flair and goal threat. They’ve only scored 28 goals in the Premier League this season as a team – only three more than their former player has managed single-handed this campaign.
What they need
Until the Saints find a way to replace the attributes and end product that Tadic brought to the team then they will continue to struggle. The likes of Stuart Armstrong and Mohamed Elyounoussi were brought in to take Tadic’s place in the squad but both have failed to make a significant enough impact this season.
If Hasenhuttl fails to steer Southampton safely clear of the drop this season then the sale of Tadic could easily be considered one of the key factors in the club’s fall from grace.
