THE £4 million signing of Rory Delap has shattered not only Saints' transfer record but also their image as bit-part players in the transfer market.

Although they will still continue to seek out shrewd bargains such as Anders Svensson, they have demonstrated they are now prepared to splash out when necessary.

The new stadium will give them the resources to compete on a more even footing and chairman Rupert Lowe said: "This signing is a declaration of ambition.

"You have to spend money to make money and, by bringing in Rory, we have shown we mean business.

"I know Stuart Gray is very excited about him joining us and this is a massive commitment for us in what is a very important season."

It takes Saints summer spending close to the £5 million mark with Svensson signing from Elfsborg for £750,000 and Jacinta Ela Eyene arriving soon on a Bosman free from Espanyol.

Although Saints will continue to look to strengthen, Lowe hinted that they may wait before bringing in anyone else.

He is keen to avoid a repetition of the disruption caused when six new faces were brought in at once three summers ago.

He added: "You can overdo it if you bring in too many too quickly.

"We need these to bed in and then we will have a look at the overall picture and see what happens."