Southampton were one of several Premier League sides linked with Stade Reims centre-back Axel Disasi during the summer transfer window but the French defender ended up joining Ligue 1 side AS Monaco instead.

Saints would sign Mohamed Salisu from Real Valladolid, in a deal worth £10.9 million, and when you consider that the Ghanaian is yet to make an appearance for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this season, it could be argued that the South Coast club should have pushed harder for their other target.

Disasi was available for just a fraction more than that, with Monaco eventually agreeing an £11.7 million deal with Reims for the centre-back and he has established himself as a regular in Niko Kovac’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in Ligue 1, in which he has contributed two goals and averaged a solid 6.74 rating (per WhoScored).

The 22-year-old attracted interest after helping Reims to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the 2019/20 season, with the Frenchman no doubt an important part of the Reims defence that had conceded just 21 goals in 28 games before the season was curtailed (per Birmingham Mail).

Hasenhuttl’s side have enjoyed a fairly solid start to the season, especially from a defensive perspective, with Alex McCarthy boasting four clean sheets from the opening 10 games.

However, last weekend’s collapse in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United emphasises the Saints’ defensive vulnerabilities, suggesting that they could have done with a centre-back such as Disasi in their side.

The Frenchman was heavily praised by former coach Jean-Luc Vasseur in an interview with Get Football News France, where he said:

“I realised quickly that he had great potential. I have rarely seen such serenity in such a young player. In addition to his athleticism, his great quality is his intelligence. He quickly understands.”

Therefore, when you consider the lack of appearances Salisu has made for the Saints thus far, compared to the impact Disasi seems to be having at Monaco, it could definitely be argued that the club made an error in not signing him last summer.

And, in other news… Southampton ace badly let Hasenhuttl down with his performance vs Manchester United