Championship fan recalls Southampton's previous record that made them regret | OneFootball

In 1992, Southampton sold Alan Shearer for that era's record-breaking fee of £3.5m, but the Saints were made to regret the move soon.

You might agree the modern Premier League has evolved quite unexpectedly over the years. While its competitiveness remains unchanged, it has seen clubs undergo drastic transformations.

After all, how many would believe that Portsmouth once won back-to-back English league titles in the 1940s? Hey, but if that's quite old, here's a somewhat recent one.

Shockingly, Blackburn Rovers have a Premier League title, something Southampton still chases. And, frustratingly, it was a Saints mistake only that allowed Blackburn, now a Championship side, to boast a more decorated history.

So in the early 1990s, Southampton had a gem of a talent in forward Alan Shearer. Yes, a youngster in those days, who later became a Saints legend.

Southampton's temptation to sell Shearer hindered future silverware aspirations

But all wasn’t well. Despite Shearer’s blistering form, Southampton as a team was struggling. Naturally, many clubs were eager to swoop in and lure the Englishman away from the Saints.

For fans looking for a modern-day parallel, Southampton's handling of Tyler Dibling might prove just as costly.

Ultimately, under pressure, the Saints sold Shearer for a record £3.5m fee to Blackburn. But little did they know, despite the significant fee, they had just handed Blackburn a jackpot.

Want to know how this single transfer changed Blackburn’s fate? Just listen to fan pundit Simon.

Recently, speaking to Football League World, he summarized Shearer's contributions, saying: "He helped Blackburn win the league. He was a massive part of the club’s transformation under Jack Walker. So, capturing Alan Shearer has probably got to be one of the biggest transfer masterstrokes that Blackburn ever did."

In the end, what seemed like a justifiable decision at the time turned into one of Southampton’s greatest transfer regrets. If not for this, maybe it would have been the Saints leading Blackburn 1-0 in Premier League titles.