Kelvin Davis has told Saints he will wait until the last possible day to allow the club to offer him a contract to stay at St Mary’s.

The Daily Echo player of the season is out of contract this summer but has already stated his desire to remain with the club if a suitable deal can be tabled.

There is little prospect of Davis being handed terms like those he is on now and there is a chance other sides in higher divisions, such as Leicester, may make him an offer he cannot refuse.

However, Mark Wotte has insisted that if he is still at St Mary’s he will push the new owners to do all they can to keep Davis at the club next season and get that issue settled as soon as possible.

He said: “Kelvin has told us he will wait until the last day before he takes another decision.

“I spoke two or three weeks with Kelvin and said ‘the first contract we are going to offer is to you, for two or three years but we are not in a legal position to offer any contracts.’ “Of course we spoke with him and expressed our intentions but Mark Fry, being responsible for everything, said we cannot legally offer anybody a new contract at the moment.

“I know everybody wants Kelvin to stay and I am the first for that.

“The good thing is he really wants to stay as well.

“He knows we can’t offer him the same contract but we will do the best we can and put in the utmost effort to have him next season.

“He likes the club and is settled here and also has this feeling that he doesn’t want to leave the club on relegation, he wants to leave the club in a better situation.

“Out of the worst we can find motivation for a better season.

“Even the fans have been brilliant the last couple of weeks – to see 2,000 fans at Nottingham being so supportive makes you realise if you start well next season and win more matches at home you might get more fans than in the Championship.”