Southampton have signed Swansea City's England Under-21 defender Nathan Wood on a four-year contract, to reunite with head coach Russell Martin. The duo worked together at Martin's former club Swansea, who signed the centre-half from Middlesbrough in 2022.
Martin spoke of his delight at the prospect of coaching the 22-year-old for a second time. "Nathan is a player I know and trust from our time together at Swansea, and someone I also tried to sign in my first job at MK Dons," Martin told Southampton's official website. "He’s a top defender with tremendous physical qualities, great pace and calmness on the ball.
“What’s equally important to us is that he’s a great character who will settle in seamlessly with the brilliant group we already have here. He’s hungry to prove himself in the Premier League, and we want to help him achieve that.”
Wood himself is relishing the prospect of playing in the top-flight for the first time. “It’s obviously a massive club, a Premier League club that was in the Championship last season, and to get straight back into the Prem is a big thing," he said.
“It’s always been an attractive club. Obviously the style of football is a big thing, the coaching is a big thing, and it’s a step up in leagues for me as well.
“It’s a no-brainer really when you put all those things together. It’s quite an easy decision to make.”
See: Summer 2024 transfers & news Southampton start their return to the Premier League at Newcastle United on Saturday 17 August.