LES Reed has been extremely satisfied by the quality of players that Saints have been able to bring into the club this summer.

There have been some high-profile departures from St Mary’s in the current window, with Morgan Schneiderlin joining Manchester United, Nathaniel Clyne signing for Liverpool, and Toby Alderweireld going to Tottenham rather than returning to the south coast.

But there have been plenty of incomings as well.

The summer began with the captures of Juanmi, Cedric Soares and Maarten Stekelenburg, before Cuco Martina joined and the club this week completed an £8.5m move for Feyenoord's highly-regarded midfielder Jordy Clasie.

Reed, speaking before Clasie arrived, said: “It started very positively. We brought in three players that we had identified early and we wanted to explore and we managed to get them over the line quite quickly.

“We knew, mainly because of the rumour mill and continuous reports in various media, that there would be interest in one or two of our players again this summer and so you always prepare for that.

“We knew for this campaign we would have to get more depth. and We were able to bring in Soares, who was on our radar anyway as the immediate replacement [for Clyne], then Cuco Martina, who can play in a number of positions across the back four, very versatile.

“That meant we now are much stronger depth wise along the back four, at left back with both Ryan Bertrand and Matt Targett and it means we can handle the Bertrand injury (the defender is out for a few weeks after knee surgery) for a short period of time as well."

Reed added: “It was not something we would plan to do in terms of replacing Fraser Forster, but the injury meant we had to get an experienced keeper, a keeper who has played at the top level, but on the basis that we expect Fraser to be back.

“Whilst we know Maarten didn’t have the greatest of times at Fulham, he was at a club where there were three several managerial changes and quite a bit of turmoil during that period. It was all unsettled, but we know he is a top class goalkeeper. You don’t play in a World Cup final without being a top class goalkeeper.”

Reed continued: “We feel with Kelvin [Davis], Maarten and young Gazza [Paulo Gazzaniga] in there, we have some strength.

“Back four and goalkeeper wise we are covered, but with the news that Toby’s not coming we have to plug that hole as well. We have targets we had as options who we will pursue to make sure we get the right player and then I think defensively we are pretty sound.”