Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has a sense of humour. After Dejan Lovren became the fourth major player to be sold by the club this summer, the new Saints manager tweeted he was "Ready for training!" and accompanied his post with an appropriately empty pitch.
Emptiness is how Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are probably feeling right about now. Schneiderlin is still on holiday due to his World Cup excursions, but the injured Rodriguez's mood will not have improved by the player exodus from St Mary's, with Calum Chambers also set to complete an £11 million move to Arsenal. Both Schneiderlin and Rodriguez could also leave.
Chambers' inevitable departure will mean Southampton have pocketed £91m for five players that cost £9.5m between them. It is great business but it is also alarming. Under Mauricio Pochettino, they had the potential to (eventually) compete for a Champions League place but mid-table mediocrity now awaits them.