REFLECTIONS may have been different had Saints been unable to push a loan move for Maxwel Cornet over the line with a deal sheet.

Saints extended their summer transfer window by slightly more than an hour as they finalised financial terms for the 27 year old's switch.

With a slightly rushed announcement beyond midnight, the club took their total tally of new first-team signings up to a remarkable 14.

West Ham's Cornet adds a different profile to the Saints attack, although he will take a few weeks to get up to speed for fitness reasons.

Ryan Fraser was also warmly welcomed back to Staplewood by the squad, having taken a significant pay cut to depart Newcastle United and re-join. 

It leaves manager Russell Martin working with a squad that is probably too large, as they were unable to get any major deadline-day departures done.

Sam Edozie will have been left disappointed as his loan to Scottish giants Rangers fell away while the two clubs raced against the clock.

Windows in Europe could still present an exit route for a player like Paul Onuachu, who now risks not being registered in the league.

Saints have spent well this window but with restraint. Throughout the summer, they have had to rely on player sales to get key deals over the line.

They have spent between £100-110million, with the timely exits of Sekou Mara (£10million) and Charly Alcaraz (£15million) funding moves for Cameron Archer (£15million) and Aaron Ramsdale (£18-25million).

Saints have signed a lot of good, young lads who - in the worst-case scenario - will be brilliant in the league below and retain their value or - in the best-case scenario - will take the next step up in their careers as Premier League players.

Archer and Taylor Harwood-Bellis have already proven they are above the Championship, while the likes of Nathan Wood and Ronnie Edwards are well-respected.

Scouts of the world could not believe Saints landed Mateus Fernandes, who was only reluctantly allowed to leave Sporting Lisbon.

These are the sort of signings which Martin believes future-proofs the club, whatever happens over the next 10 months.

Another window has gone by without Saints landing that £35million marquee forward - it was never going to happen within the rules this summer.

Ben Brereton Diaz and Archer have to become that for Saints. Cornet offers something different with power. It is still probably the biggest question mark.

It was key for Saints to bring back leaders like Flynn Downes, Harwood-Bellis and Fraser, as key characters in the core of the promotion-winning squad.

Keeping that group together will encourage unity and spirit - they experienced and bounced back from some dark days last season.

Allowing Shea Charles to leave on loan for the season by temporarily replacing him with Chelsea's Lesley Ugochukwu was a smart bit of thinking. 

Ramsdale is the real marquee signing - a big splash on a goalkeeper who has challenged for the Premier League title in the last two seasons at Arsenal.

Equally, the 26 year old has been relegated twice and is not a magic guarantee. But Ramsdale does add a certain aura to the Saints box.

He is a positive, larger-than-life character with grit and determination and all the qualities you need in the sort of battle Saints know lies ahead. 

Ramsdale will give confidence to everyone in front of him and surely become the best shot-stopper the club have had in a long time. 

Keeping Kyle Walker-Peters is potentially the best of the bunch. Whatever happens at the end of these 12 months, he boosts the club's chances massively.

The club did not expect to be playing alongside Yukinari Sugawara this season but no serious interest in the former Spurs man materialised.

Saints need to survive in the Premier League this season to go above the £20million player barrier and keep building towards the club's long-term ambition.

Saints probably do not have a squad that guarantees that - but, in the bottom half of the division, no club really does.

Considering the financial limits placed on them, Saints have operated astutely to address most - if not all - of their significant concerns.

Ultimately, the only judgement that counts will come next May. Have Saints done enough to beat the drop? They believe they have.