Southampton finally appointed Mark Hughes as their permanent manager on a three-year deal last week after he guided them to safety in just eight matches in charge at the end of the Premier League season, and the decision was certainly met with plenty of approval from Saints fans.

The St Mary's faithful were becoming disillusioned with vice-chairman Les Reed. He got the appointment of Ronald Koeman and the various ins and outs at the club in previous years right, but had been doing the complete opposite since the Dutchman and star players Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle and Victor Wanyama left the club in 2016.

The 65-year-old has largely been blamed by the south coast outfit's fan-base following the wrong decisions to appoint Claude Puel and then Mauricio Pelllegrino, but he has certainly pulled some of that back by giving Hughes the job after eight points from their last five fixtures of the 2017/18 campaign proved to be enough to save them from the abyss.

Reed, who should move quickly to re-sign a former 28-year-old attacker if he is available this summer, is in the good books right now, but that could easily change if he gets their transfer dealings wrong again over the course of the next two-and-a-bit months.

Here are three Southampton summer deals Reed could sanction to go from hero to zero…

According to reports in The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on McCarthy with current number two Michel Vorm's contract up next month, and they could consider making a summer move for the 28-year-old.

While the stopper only has a year left on his contract at St Mary's, it would be a hugely unpopular decision to sell him before the new campaign considering he established himself as the south coast outfit's undoubted number one in 2018, and played a crucial role in keeping them up that saw him win the club's Player of the Year award.

According to a report in The Mirror, Saints are one of the Premier League clubs taking an interest in signing Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, but it wouldn’t be a popular move among the fans – especially if he replaced the popular McCarthy between the sticks.

The England international has been struggling for form in recent seasons and his unsuccessful loan spell with West Ham United this term hardly showed that he would be a good summer addition for the south coast club.

Also on big wages, it's fair to say that Reed' strategy in the transfer market would be questioned again if he brought the 31-year-old to St Mary's.

Despite being hugely out of favour under Mauricio Pellegrino and then Mark Hughes in terms of Southampton starts, Gabbiadini's crucial winning goal in the 1-0 victory against Swansea City showed how influential he could be and enhanced his role as a real fans' favourite, and it was a moment that may have just saved his Saints career.

The Italian has already hinted that he is happy in the Premier League and keen to stay having been linked with a move back to his home country previously, but it appears likely that Reed will sell a striker this summer with him, Charlie Austin, Shane Long and Guido Carrillo on the books.

With the latter only joining in January, Austin their top goalscorer and Long useful for his all-round impact, Gabbiadini could find himself as the odd one out, but selling him would not be a popular decision.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.