Southampton have gained a reputation for being a selling club in the last decade or so, and our landlord here at the Transfer Tavern can’t really argue with that statement when you see the number of talented players to have been shipped out of St. Mary’s Stadium.

When you look at how well some of them have gone on to do, it’s hard not to simply think of what could’ve been.

If we were to put together an ultimate Southampton side of the last 10 years it would surely be one capable of pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, so you can forgive our punters here at the bar for wondering what might have been had they kept some of the prime talent to have been moved on.

Some they were right to sell because they’ve not quite reached the potential they had, but a few of the players they let go of have well and truly blossomed away from the club and could have been real stars on the south coast.

It’s all ‘what ifs’ and ‘I wonder hows’, but they really shouldn’t have been so quick to sell a number of players! Here are TWO stars Southampton were way too eager to offload!

GARETH BALE

What could have been? Gareth Bale departed the Saints for Tottenham in 2007 and is now up there as one of the very best players in the world!

But then again at the Saints he was a left-back and never got a chance to feature further up the field – maybe that’s where they really went wrong? Either way, they really should have tried harder to keep him at the club longer than they did and develop him more to bring in even more money.

THEO WALCOTT

Yes we know it’s hard to think of Theo Walcott at any other club other than Arsenal, but he was a very successful young footballer in the first-team for Southampton back in 2006 in the Championship.

He scored some classy goals and showed skills way beyond his age – he was only 16-years-old back then! It’s crazy how much his career has kicked on since those days and although he has had some stick the last few years, he’s certainly a talented player.

He could have been superb for the Saints if he’d of stayed at St.Mary’s a little while longer.