Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl admits the decision to let Oriol Romeu leave on deadline day had a bigger impact than expected.

The central midfielder was allowed to depart the club on a permanent transfer to Catalonian club Girona.

He spent the past seven years with the Saints, but Hasenhuttl had expected others to step up to replace him.

“That's a very good question," he said to reporters, as the Saints have not won a Premier League game since Romeu left.

“I must say that I expected more from the guys that had to replace him. And that does not mean we can for the next five years cry about it. Ori was going.

“He was over 30 and it must be possible to replace him at one time. But he was a very important player for this club.

“Very often when a player leaves then afterwards you see how important he was. What doesn't change in my opinion, is that I had to give him the chance to do this (leave) after what he has done for this club.

“But maybe this was not the easiest decision for me to say yes to his change, because we know how important he was."