What could happen with four Southampton players in last year of contract

Saints are a club in particular left satisfied with their summer business, but there is still maintenance to see to before January and, indeed, June.

Sport Republic and the Saints hierarchy were unsuccessful in adding a supercar but did bring in a fleet of reliable and promising motors while trading out some of their old bangers.

The negotiating team can only put on the brakes for so long, with players coming to the end of their current deals and potentially looking to accelerate consideration of their own futures.

• Read more - Southampton boss recalls nearly signing Duje Caleta-Car at Leipzig

Following the summer clearout, Saints left themselves with only four players coming to the end of their contract in June – but that still leaves four decisions to be made.

Willy Caballero

Caballero turns 41 this month and re-signed for a further year at Saints early in the summer. He continues his role as a voice in the goalkeeping group and as a third-choice.

The ready-made replacement, it seems, for Caballero, is already at the club – with Mateusz Lis signing a five-year contract as a free agent this summer.

The Polish stopper is on loan at French side Troyes to pick up matchday minutes while he waits for a role to emerge at Saints, with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl enjoying the group dynamic up until his departure.

“The group is good, the group is very good I must say,” Hasenhuttl said, speaking to the Daily Echo in August. “We have two experienced and two young ones so it is quite a dynamic atmosphere there, and good for every goalkeeper.

“Andrew (Sparkes) does a good job there and we will see what happens. Yes, we need to give every player a chance to play, and there is only one that can play, the other three are a little unhappy. We will see what we do.”

Caballero could yet earn another deal but, turning 42 next season, it seems likely this could be his final year – at least at the top level – paving the way for Lis to return and stake a claim next season.

Lis, 25, is still waiting for his first Ligue 1 appearance, only making the bench last time out in defeat to RC Lens.

Moi Elyounoussi

Elyounoussi is into the final year of his Saints deal and just over 12 months ago you would have said he is a dead certainty to part.

He has since become a regular for Hasenhuttl, starting each of the last six matches despite some supporters left frustrated with his attacking output.

The latest update the Norwegian gave TV2 was he is in dialogue with the club over a new deal, but suggestions are nothing has progressed in that regard.

Versatile Elyounoussi hit eight goals in all competitions last campaign, but is yet to find the target this season. He has been operating in both midfield and attack in Hasenhuttl’s new shapes.

With Sport Republic’s increased investment, the 28-year-old – who has made 39 appearances for Saints since returning from two seasons on loan at Celtic – could be the kind of player to make way for younger blood.

Theo Walcott

In an ideal world, they would have already got rid of Walcott’s wages from the books, but no move materialised this summer.

The likes of Nathan Redmond did find permanent deals elsewhere, signing for Turkish giants Besiktas, while Saints were unable to bring in a marquee forward in the window’s final days.

However, it still leaves Walcott – who did not even feature in the rotated matchday squad at Cambridge United, explained by Hasenhuttl as wanting to give young players a chance - in the cold.

"We tried to give a few young players their chance to play today," Hasenhuttl explained.

"I think we will see what happens. It can be that we still have some moves with players coming in and some players going out so we'll have to see what happens for them."

Reading boss Paul Ince revealed Walcott was ‘close’ to signing for the Championship club but finances could not be agreed – whether that is to do with wage covered, or a fee for his services, is unknown.

If 33-year-old Walcott does not depart in January, he will almost certainly leave the club at the end of his terms next June – with all parties understanding it was a return that did not work.

Moussa Djenepo

Djenepo is another player who seems to have mini-resurgences in the team and his application to Hasenhuttl’s vision has never and will never be questioned.

The 24-year-old was Hasenhuttl’s first permanent signing as manager of Saints and is well-liked in the dressing room at St Mary’s.

Djenepo arrived for a large fee (between £11-14million) in 2019 and if the club were going to recoup some of that fee, it would have come from a sale this summer.

However, a depth crisis at full-back in July and August saw the Malian winger reinvented as a left-back – in which he filled in admirably.

Speaking after a 2-1 win at Leicester City, Hasenhuttl said: “Moussa on the left-back position, he is normally an offensive player but the way he defended today was fantastic.

“Absolutely (convinced). That he’s good on the ball we all know. But for him to defend like this, not everybody knows but he did it in a fantastic way today.

But the Austrian has since hinted Djenepo is now in training again as a winger and will likely be used in this way.

Given that he cost the club a considerable fee and is happy to be a squad player at 24-years-old, Djenepo might earn himself a new two-year deal – he just has to continue displaying growth.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Pic: SFC) (Image: SFC)

In theory, deadline day signing Maitland-Niles’ contract at Saints is also set to expire next summer – after the Arsenal ace signed a season-long loan.

The Daily Echo understands the deal includes a buy option the club can trigger, should they choose to keep the 25-year-old beyond this campaign.

Maitland-Niles could see a first Premier League start for Saints this weekend if he is chosen to fill in for injured Romeo Lavia over Ibrahima Diallo.

The versatile former England international is also said to be relaxed over where he plays this season and is more than happy to fill in as full-back if needed.

It is innovative business from the club on a sometimes manic deadline day and gives them control of the situation going forward.

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