Saints are set to focus their efforts on developing a new generation of young stars under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Austrian says he only agreed to join the club because they wanted to focus on youth, both in terms of giving academy players increased first team opportunities and signing younger players in the transfer market.

Though Hasenhuttl accepts the need for a balanced squad, he wants to target future transfer recruits to be players in the early stages of their careers, who may go on to become superstars.

Hasenhuttl accepts the difficult nature of football means that if youngsters, either homegrown or bought, do progress and do well at Saints that they will probably be picked off for huge fees by bigger clubs.

However, he thinks Saints have proven it to be the best strategy for success in the past, and their deviation from this pathway has not worked out for the club.

He said: “I know supporters always want to see new players “The best thing is if it’s a star. 50 million, you know? That’s what they like. I know this. To see fantastic players playing. I also like it.

“I also had players like Naby Keita, a fantastic player. It was not a surprise that a club will come and pay a lot of money for him.

“I think for Southampton that is not our way. That was the reason I was coming here.

“We want to create the stars, to build them out of our youth, or maybe young players we bring in, they have potential, a little bit of fantasy in there.

“There is a small tree. We give water to it and try to let it grow and, if it is a beautiful tree, then another one will come and take it.

“That’s not easy for supporters sometimes but I think it is the best way for this club.

“We want to show that we can be successful in a very healthy way without taking any financial risks.

“It is not the easiest way but if you have success then it gives you a lot of feedback, a lot of positive feedback. I think this was the way in Southampton for a long time.

“Then, I think, they’ve lost a little bit that direction and now we want to come back in this way. I think that was what the supporters are demanding.

“So what our goal now is is to make this group we are training smaller, to make this group smaller.

“It is more important to find the right size of this squad and afterwards bringing in some new players for the future, young players, they sign their first or second contract in their life and grow with us in this next step of development to get better and maybe launch a superstar.”