Southampton manager Mark Hughes is happy with the way the club have gone about their business in the transfer window.

Hughes knows that Southampton must improve in all areas if they are to avoid the flirtation with relegation that caused the club much alarm last season.

They have spent a total of £51 million on the likes of Stuart Armstrong, Angus Gunn, Jannik Vestergaard and Mohamed Elyounoussi.

"I've been involved in the process. I came in [at the beginning of June] just to go through the potential targets that were there that the club had lined up and felt were viable," Hughes told Daily Echo.

"We went through and categorised who we felt would be number one, number two, number three. Not necessarily because they were lesser players, they were all A-list players, but just which ones would be a preference if we were able to get them.

"It was a good process, it was encouraging for me because I understood that a lot of work's gone on before they actually present to me as they manager.

"The worry I've had in the past about understanding the character of the players and whether they'll come into the Premier League and have an impact.

"A lot of that work is already done before they even get presented to me.

"All transfers are risks, you're never quite sure how a player will react to a certain environment, a different way of coaching, a different country.

"It's difficult but if they've got the fundamentals as people and players, then they shouldn't have a problem."