Portsmouth's former midfielder Martin Allen has suggested Southampton to hold the final say in the transfer fee add-ons while selling Taylor Harwood-Bellis to any Premier League outfit.
Though Southampton fans will miss the chance to mock Arsenal next season, the fan banters are sure to keep going at St. Mary's. That's because Southern neighbours Portsmouth will welcome the Saints in the Championship, which definitely won't be a warm reunion.
So, it's wise to expect an element of off-field rivalry from Portsmouth icons and their current players in the coming days. Knowing that their former midfielder Martin Allen's comment will rather come as a surprise to the Southampton fanbase.
A couple of months ago, Martin boasted about Taylor Harwood-Bellis' centre-back abilities and didn't leave any stone unturned in pleading West Ham to sign him. Honestly, rival pundits pull these tricks often to try and weaken their opponent's squad and Allen's lavishing praises also felt flattering from the inside.
Harwood-Bellis add-ons can secure attractive funds for Southampton
However, recently, Allen appeared to have adopted a friendly stance towards Southampton out of nowhere. Instead of sounding more salesy, Allen gave a brilliant transfer idea to the Saints.
In his own words, West Ham Zone quoted Martin Allen saying: "If I were Southampton, I'd be putting a number of extra bonuses in his contract, like if West Ham got into Europe, then they would get an extra £5m, if he plays for England, then they get another £5m. That means if he does extremely well, then Southampton are also rewarded."
Firstly, props to Martin for providing an unbiased suggestion, unlike the previous occasion. Secondly, even with these lofty add-ons, Southampton shouldn't loosen their upfront transfer demand as there may be a possibility that Harwood-Bellis' development gets hindered at West Ham.
Then, the Saints will only earn a meagre paycheck which would then make it hard to pursue other priority signings. Hopefully, Southampton think this way and wait for the right Harwood-Bellis offer to arrive.
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