MANAGER Ralph Hasenhuttl insists he is still hopeful of extending the contract of star striker Danny Ings and added: “I think Danny shows us that he wants to be with the club.”

Ings’s current deal at St Mary’s expires in the summer of 2022, with the manager confirming the south coast side are still in negotiations with the frontman.

England international Ings penned a three-year contract at Saints in 2019, having sealed a £20million switch from Liverpool following a successful loan spell.

Asked about Ings’s contract ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup third round clash with Shrewsbury, Hasenhuttl said: “It is not a big surprise when I say he is very important for our game. We know this, he knows this.

“But, we also have won games without him.

“When he is out for a long term, we really feel it.

“The quality he has in front (of goal) is definitely outstanding and for us, important. You see it at a few other teams who are really struggling with losing good strikers.

“I think about Wolves, for example, when Raul Jimenez was long out. They had problems to replace him.

“It is, for us as a club, different to sub somebody who is on the same level as he (Ings) is.

“This is also the reason we are trying to extend his contract, it is not a surprise or a secret. As always, we are in negotiations.

“We have at the moment, a tricky situation for every club I think in the Premier League.

“Everybody is losing a lot of money in this crisis we are going through. We can only do what we are able to and what is healthy for us and this is why we are looking.

“I think Danny shows us that he wants to be with the club, we know that he is an important player for us. I hope that we find an agreement and finally he stays with us.

“If not, life will go on and this club will also exist and hopefully we can find a way that we can both live with.”

Ings has scored 40 goals in 81 senior appearances for Saints.

He is however not expected to feature against the Shrews, as he continues to get up to speed following isolation after a positive coronavirus test.