Major news has emerged about Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn, it could lead to a masterclass from CEO Martin Semmens.

What's the talk?

According to The Athletic, Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn is closing in on a return to his hometown club Norwich City. Southampton have agreed a deal with Norwich that could rise to £7m if all clauses in the contract are met, with Gunn now set to discuss personal terms with the Canaries. Gunn is said to have held talks with Ralph Hasenhuttl earlier this year, where he was told that he would not be part of the Austrian's plans moving forward.

Norwich will pay an initial fee of £2.5m for the former England under-21 international. The deal will hit £5m guaranteed for Southampton, with a further £2m in add-ons. This is £3m less than the £10m Southampton paid Manchester City for his services in 2018.

Earlier this year, Stoke boss Michael O'Neill admitted that Angus Gunn had been “unfortunate” at times in the Championship and praised the shot-stopper for his composure at the back. He told the Daily Echo:

“Angus has been really good since he’s come in, in a difficult situation.

“He’s been unfortunate in the goals that he’s lost. The goal down at Swansea when he had to come on at half-time – then the goals at Watford which were disappointing and harsh on him given the nature of the decision.

“The other two games he’s kept clean sheets, so we’re delighted.

“I think he gives good composure to his defence, kicks well, looks very assured with the ball at his feet and I think there is loads more to come.”

Semmens masterclass

This could turn out to be a masterclass from Southampton CEO Martin Semmens. The Saints could raise some valuable funds to make incomings of their own whilst discarding a player who was of no use to Hasenhuttl heading into next season. With all due respect to Gunn, he was the third-choice goalkeeper behind Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster and stood little chance of getting any minutes in the Premier League.

Therefore, Southampton could potentially get up to £7m back for a player who has been unable to make an impact at St. Mary's and who had no future at the club.

As the report mentioned, Hasenhuttl did not see a place for Gunn in the squad as he wants to go with McCarthy and Forster, so it is a shrewd move to sell the shot-stopper instead of sending him out on another loan and not receiving a fee for him.

The £10m flop can now play a crucial role in helping Southampton improve Hasenhuttl's squad. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor claimed the Saints are close to agreeing an £8.5m package for Brest left-back Romain Perraud. Gunn's sale to Norwich could now cover a sizeable chunk of that fee and allow Southampton to reinvest cash in other areas to bolster the team.

Therefore, this sale could be a masterclass by Semmens. He's getting rid of a flop and could well use the funds raised to strengthen Hasenhuttl's options.

AND in other news, Semmens making unforgivable Saints blunder over £8.1m-rated flop with "wrong attitude"...