Back on Friday 13th July 2018, Southampton completed the £18m signing of Jannik Vestergaard from Borussia Monchengladbach, where the centre-back put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the Saints.
The Danish defender – who stands at a towering 6 foot 6 – arrived as one of the most expensive purchases in the club’s history, so it’s safe to assume that a lot was to be expected of him.
However, there was something foreboding about the fact he was signed on Friday 13th.
Since arriving at St Mary’s, the 27-year-old has been pretty dreadful.
He angered fans on Twitter within just a handful of appearances for his new club with a poor display against Brighton, and has subsequently lost his place this term as Ralph Hasenhuttl prefers to play Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens together.
Vestergaard was also effectively put up for sale by the Saints in January, but after no exit materialised for him, he was handed opportunities to impress against Tottenham in the FA Cup and also against Burnley in the Premier League – Southampton lost both games, and supporters on Twitter were livid with him in both outings.
Enough about his on-field displays – let’s take a look at the figures.
Since becoming a Southampton player, Vestergaard has been earning £60k-a-week at St Mary’s.
The Dane has been at the club for 88 weeks, so that works out at a total of £5.28 in terms of wages.
Add that to his transfer fee of £18m, and the centre-back has cost Southampton a whopping £23.28m, which is daylight robbery for the little he has contributed.
Saints owner Gao Jisheng must be wondering how on earth the centre-back was ever handed this much cash a week, and he must also be in disbelief as to how Vestergaard ever merited a fee of £18m.
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The defender – if you could even call him that – has thieved Southampton of a living for almost two years.
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