Robinson claimed the club needed to sell the former Rangers man to balance the books, but tried to appease fans by assuring them that some of the money would be made available for coach Craig Levein.
"Apparently this is the eighth biggest transfer fee in Europe this summer," explained Robinson.
"That shows how much the market has been dropping.
"There's not the money in football there was a couple of years ago and the financial reality is hitting home throughout Europe.
"We initially turned down £1.5 million from Southampton. We only said yes when we got a figure that was acceptable.
"It helps give the club stability and Craig can buy a midfielder."
