Ralph Hasenhuttl says head of recruitment Joe Shields' exit after three months is 'NOT a big loss'

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Ralph Hasenhuttl claims head of recruitment Joe Shields’ exit after just three months is ‘NOT a big loss’ – and insists his impact was ‘not the biggest’, as he gets set to leave Southampton for Todd Boehly’s Chelsea revolution

Ralph Hasenhuttl says Joe Shields’ Chelsea exit is no ‘big loss’ for Southampton
Shields has been credited with much of the Saints good summer recruitment
But the Austrian claimed that Shields did not have a huge impact at the club
He joined Southampton in July spending less than four months with the side

Published: 10:12 EDT, 14 October 2022 | Updated: 10:13 EDT, 14 October 2022

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Ralph Hasenhuttl’s confirmation that Joe Shileds has left Southampton for Premier League rivals Chelsea came with a particularly barbed message.

Shields’ switch to west London has been much speculated, with the former Crystal Palace, Fulham and Manchester City man credited with much of the Saints’ stellar recruitment over the summer.

However Hasenhuttl has refuted any claims that Shields ‘impact’ was felt at St. Mary’s, as the Austrian issues a seemingly bitter statement.

Ralph Hasenhuttl claimed that Joe Shield’s did not have the ‘biggest’ impact at Southampton

According to Ben Jacobs, the Southampton boss said: ‘He came in August and he left in October.

‘It’s not a big loss for this club because the impact he had in the six weeks was not the biggest.

‘We are not in the situation where we fall into depression.’

Ralph Hasenhüttl confirms Joe Shields has left Southampton for Chelsea. “He came in August and he left in October. It’s not a big loss for this club because the impact he had in the six weeks was not the biggest. We are not in the situation where we fall into depression.”

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— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 14, 2022

He took up the role as head of recruitment at St Mary’s back in July less than four months ago

Though sat in 17th in the league, the south coast club have drawn acclaim after yet another window in which they look to have unearthed young stars.

The Saints plundered City – Shields’ former employers – for starlets Romeo Lavia, 18, Samuell Edozie, 19, Juan Larios, 18, and Gavin Bazunu, 20.

Fellow summer arrivals Joe Aribo, Sekou Mara and Armel Bella-Kotchap have also drawn plaudits for the club after their seemingly seamless transition to life in the Premier League.

Shields (middle) worked with Man City’s academy for many years, before joining the Saints

Lavia, Mara and Balla-Kotchap have been particularly impressive for the Saints, although Hasenhuttl has been quick to claim that not all the club’s signings came through Shields.

And he is correct to do so, with Lavia and Bazunu arriving before Shields’ official appointment and Aribo joining after just one day.

‘He [Shields] was not the person who brought Romeo [Lavia] in,’ said Hasenhuttl. ‘We would like to have people here for longer but it’s better he leaves immediately.’