Southampton poached a player from nearby rivals Portsmouth in 2008, and they ended up with someone who would become a club legend while also making them a lot of money.
By the summer of 2008, Portsmouth and Southampton had completely different situations. Portsmouth had just placed eighth in the Premier League and won the FA Cup, whereas Southampton had ended 20th in the Championship, hampered by a financial crisis and boardroom unrest, and had almost averted relegation to League One on the final day of the season.
Southampton pips their local rivals in the quest for signatures.
However, during the summer, a player became available who piqued the interest of both clubs.
Morgan Schneiderlin progressed through the Strasbourg academy, breaking into the first squad in 2006 and earning caps for France at the under-16, under-17, under-18, and under-19 levels.
Strasbourg was relegated from Ligue Un at the end of the 2007/08 season, which piqued the interest of several clubs.
Portsmouth were initially interested, but Schneiderlin was afraid that he would not get first-team games at Fratton Park, so he moved to St Mary’s after Southampton matched their £1.2 million bid for the midfielder.
Morgan Schneiderlin provided the Saints with seven years of service as well as a significant profit.
Schneiderlin did not arrive to a happy club, and by the end of his first season, Southampton had been demoted to League One due to a ten-point deduction. Regardless, he agreed to a contract extension with the Saints in 2011.
However, the fortunes of Portsmouth and Southampton were about to shift radically. Portsmouth have been living beyond their means and were forced into administration in 2010 as they fell out of the Premier League.
By 2013, Portsmouth were preparing for League Two, while Southampton had returned to the Premier League after two consecutive promotions, and by the end of the 2012/13 season, Schneiderlin’s work ethic and accomplished play were beginning to draw attention. At the end of his debut season in the Premier League, he was named Central Midfielder of the Year by Statszone, which publishes 442 periodicals.
| Morgan Schneiderlin’s 7 Years at Southampton (Transfermarkt) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | Played | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 2008-09 | Championship | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1820 |
| 2009-10 | League One | 37 | 1 | 2 | 2961 |
| 2010-11 | League One | 27 | 0 | 2 | 1937 |
| 2011-12 | Championship | 42 | 2 | 3 | 2834 |
| 2012-13 | Premier League | 36 | 5 | 0 | 3209 |
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 1 | 2766 |
| 2014-15 | Premier League | 26 | |||
Southampton couldn’t ignore their interest in him indefinitely, and by 2013, he was their captain. He signed another contract extension in February of that year, but in 2015, Manchester United came knocking. Schneiderlin moved for Old Trafford in July 2015 for a fee of £25 million, a reasonable return for a player who had cost them only £1.2 million and made over 250 games for them in the previous seven years.
And Southampton would be left with more than just a £23.8 million profit and seven years of distinguished service from an extraordinary player who was at the heart of their midfield throughout two consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League. They also had a victory over their local rivals in 2008. And for both supporters and the team, things don’t get much better than that.
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