Southampton’s gaffer Russell Martin has brushed aside the notion that a mere £21million could be enough to snag Tyler Dibling. Despite Southampton’s grim return to Premier League football this season, Dibling’s form has turned heads, with 16 appearances across competitions, featuring one goal and a couple of assists.
At just 18, Dibling’s adaptability has solidified him as Martin’s prime pick for the right wing spot, notwithstanding his capability to fill various roles on the pitch. His vibrant displays have sparked speculation of interest from none other than Manchester United during the January transfer window, with Aston Villa and a host of European clubs hot on the trail.
Even with talks of a £21m bid swirling around, Martin has quashed such figures: “I was told some rumours about Man Utd, one was a bid of £21m. I’m not sure you’ll get his left foot for that. We have offered him a contract, a really good contract for someone his age.
“At the minute, I don’t think his agent agrees, so that’s where we’re at,” declared Martin.
“I think Tyler wants it done, I think Tyler’s parents want it done, so we’ll see how long that takes. There is an option. We can extend. I don’t think we want to do that – we want to reward Tyler for his performances.”
The club’s manager opened up on the transfer matters, stating: “I’ve spoken to Tyler’s mum and dad about it, I’ve spoken to Tyler, but then I’m not involved in any of the negotiations – that’s down to Phil [Parsons, chief executive] and the gang, the owners and Tyler’s agent – and that’s where it gets tricky.”
United boss Ruben Amorim has expressed his plans for the upcoming transfer window amid a challenging start. Amorim stressed the importance of understanding existing squad members before considering new signings: “I’m really focused on my players and understanding my players, I think that was one of the problems of this club.
“We have to focus on what we have, the Academy and also to have the clear profile when you get the players,” he articulated pre-victory over Viktoria Plzen.
With an eye to refine the club’s dynamics, he added: “It is a lot of details you have to manage. Every detail counts. You have to be very clear in the profiles, arrange all the processes and then go to that phase of buying and selling. This is a massive club, we have to improve as a team.”
Emphasising the need for internal development, he concluded: “We have to arrange a lot of things in our club before just buying and selling players. Let’s focus on improving our players, improving our Academy and then we will see. There is a lot at stake in this moment, we have a lot to do.”
“The players have contracts and we have to see them with a new coach, a new idea. We have to see what happens. Like any other team when the window is open we can do something but in this moment, our focus is to win games and we have to have this feeling of winning.”
