Premier League’s bottom three guilty of same mistake as manager blasts transfer strategy

The Premier League’s bottom three, all promoted from last season’s Championship, are heading towards the worst combined points total in history having chosen to focus on signing young and inexperienced players

Between them they have spent £312m on 46 signings. But as Ipswich and Leicester edge miserably towards joining Southampton in being relegated, all are realising it is impossible to put a price on experience.

The bottom three are on course for a record worst combined points total having accumulated 47 so far. The previous low, 66, came last season.

And in his parting comments last weekend Ivan Juric, summarily sacked by Saints on Monday, made it clear that the reason was poor recruitment. Specifically the policy of signing unproven youngsters unable to match the strength required for the Premier League.

Juric said he had noticed a “completely different physicality between us and the other teams”, adding: “The same thing happened to Leicester and Ipswich Town.” His 107-day reign may have statistically been the worst in competition history but on this he had a point.

Saints, who have used more players (34) than any club, committed £105m on 18 acquisitions last summer – though five of those were for the youth team or sent on loan.

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While Adam Lallana, now interim assistant coach, Ryan Fraser and Charlie Taylor were among the arrivals, none have made more than five starts and the remaining additions carried little to no top-flight experience.

Instead the onus has fallen on Mateus Fernandes, a 20-year-old from Sporting Lisbon, for creativity and academy graduate Tyler Dibling has been a rare success story out wide. “They are talented,” Juric said, “but they lack experience.”

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has been more than happy to say development is central to the blueprint at Portman Road. Their transfer spend hit £130m across the summer and January with an even greater emphasis on long-term improvement rather than chasing immediate safety.

“I think it’s really good for the players and the future for the club,” McKenna said of their approach. “In terms of that, I think the club is in a bright position. We want to keep developing talent.”

And despite their near-certain demotion there is an obvious financial upside to buying young – the ability to sell-on for a profit.

Liam Delap, admired by Chelsea and Manchester United, will make the club a profit, albeit the £30m release clause in his deal puts somewhat of a cap on it. Jacob Greaves, Jack Clarke and January arrival Jaden Philogene may also attract interest. At Southampton the same applies to Dibling and Fernandes.

And in the era of PSR, the ability to move players on must part of the thinking for well-run clubs.

The strategy was less blatant at Leicester, whose spending was relatively measured in the face of existing financial fair play issues. But half of their 10 signings had never been in the Premier League before.

There has been some misfortune – Abdul Fatawu showed some promise before a knee injury in November – but Bilal El Khannouss, 20, signed from Genk, has scored just twice and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte, also 20, has found the net four times.

And for the Foxes’ number-crunchers the forecast looks more bleak next season because of a comparative shortage of young assets to sell.

“Recruitment is everything in football,” continued Juric. “You have to find the right players for this league. The gap between the Championship and Premier League is huge.”

A consecutive campaign of the promoted teams heading straight back down suggests the chasm is growing. And this year’s basement dwellers may rue the short-term costs of long-term aspirations.

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