Toni Kroos thinks Southampton have signed a ‘great talent’ for £10m, but he’s not happy

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It is probably safe to assume that few Southampton fans expected to see their beloved Championship promotion-chasers get a grilling from none other than Real Madrid and Germany icon Toni Kroos following the close of the window.

But, having raided German football over the summer, the 2014 World Cup winner has kept a very close eye on recent developments at St Mary’s.

No fewer than four of Southampton’s nine signings so far under Will Still arrived from either the Bundesliga or the Bundesliga Zwei.

Joshua Quarshie brought his ‘outstanding athletic ability’ to St Mary’s when joining from Hoffenheim. Damion Downs, their £7 million centre-forward, arrived after firing Koln to promotion.

Leo Scienza could be an ‘exceptional’ addition too. A fine set-piece taker who may potentially take James Ward-Prowse’s crown.

But when it was put to Toni Kroos that Caspar Jander had joined from Nurnberg for just over £10 million, one of Germany’s finest-ever footballing exports made no attempt to hide his disappointment.

Toni Kroos frustrated by Southampton signing Germany Under-21 ace Caspar Jander

As far as Kroos is concerned, leaving the German second division for its English equivalent is a bit of a sideways step.

“He’s from the 2. Bundesliga, from Nuremberg He’s 22. What’s the next step? For me, that’s not Southampton in the Championship,” the six-time Champions League winner said on the Einfach mal Luppen podcast.

“How many have gone there [to the English second-tier] and never been heard from again? [Jander is] a very great German talent. [The transfer annoys me] off purely from a sporting and personal perspective.

“Of course, he has a good contract there. But then I say, play another six months in Nuremberg, wait for the option to maybe move to the Bundesliga in the winter and take the next step. But going to the second division in England is really only something you do because of the contract and the money.

“And I don’t understand that at that age.”

Johannes Spors claims Jander chose Saints over Premier League clubs

This is not the first time Kroos has taken an issue with a transfer he deems to be motivated by money. Gabri Veiga, once the bright young hope of Celta Vigo, moved to Saudi Arabia at a time when Newcastle United and Liverpool were reportedly showing an interest.

Though, while Veiga himself would probably have to admit this was a transfer made with his bank balance in mind, Jander insists that he jumped at the chance to sign for Southampton partly because of their Premier League ambitions and their track record of developing young talent.

“It’s really amazing. When I heard that Southampton wanted me, I was so interested in coming here. I’m really happy to be here,” Jander told the club’s official website.

“Southampton is such a big club with so much tradition and so many big players played here. What they want to do with the club, building a new environment with a lot of young players, and the plan to go back to the Premier League, I was really interested to come here.”

Johannes Spors, their technical director, then claimed that the Saints had fought off top-flight clubs for the midfielder’s signature.

“Caspar is an all-round midfielder who has unsurprisingly attracted a lot of interest, including from Premier League clubs,” Spors said.

“Choosing to sign for Southampton outlines the belief that he shares in our vision as a club, and our positive reputation for improving young players. We are excited to see Caspar continue to develop with us.”

A former Borussia Dortmund and Schalke prospect with three caps for Germany at Under-21 level, Jander provided nine assists for Nurnberg last season alongside a trio of goals.