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Southampton: Florin Gardos free to begin hunt for new club

By Chris Hughes

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: Cameron Stewart of Ipswich shoots on goal past Florin Gardos of Southampton during the FA Cup Third Round match between Southampton and Ipswich Town at St Mary's Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: Cameron Stewart of Ipswich shoots on goal past Florin Gardos of Southampton during the FA Cup Third Round match between Southampton and Ipswich Town at St Mary's Stadium on January 4, 2015 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /
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The Romanian centre-back’s contract is set to expire on the summer, and he’s reportedly free to look for a new team.

Florin Gardos has never really managed to make any kind of mark at Southampton, with injuries and simply a lack of ability meaning he’s never been able to get a run of games in the starting XI.

Granted, these setbacks have been severe, with the knee injury suffered during 2015’s pre-season keeping him out for upwards of seven months.

However, with Gardos having made just one senior appearance since that injury – a 5-0 cup to Arsenal last January – it makes sense for the Saints to let him leave on a free.

This summer the 29-year-old will see the four-year contract he signed back when he joined expire, and when a player’s contract is into it’s last six months they are allowed to seek pre-contract agreements with other clubs.

The Echo is therefore reporting that Southampton will not stop him from shopping for offers, although it remains unclear where his next destination will be.

Next: West Brom 2-3 Saints: Three key players

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA – OCTOBER 4: Florin Gardos of FC Steaua Bucuresti in action during the UEFA Europa League group stage match between FC Steaua Bucuresti and FC Kobenhavn held on October 4, 2012 at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania. (Photo by Andrei Pungovschi/EuroFootball/Getty Images)
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA – OCTOBER 4: Florin Gardos of FC Steaua Bucuresti in action during the UEFA Europa League group stage match between FC Steaua Bucuresti and FC Kobenhavn held on October 4, 2012 at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania. (Photo by Andrei Pungovschi/EuroFootball/Getty Images) /

Signed from Steaua Bucharest in his native Romania in 2014, Gardos was seen as a talented centre-back, still with room to grow at just 25. He had experience in Europe and was seen as a good role player with Jose Fonte and Toby Alderweireld as the Saints’ first-choice centre-halves.

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In his first campaign Gardos put in a more-than respectable shift and featured 17 times for the Saints under then-boss Ronald Koeman. Since then however, he’s been injured or played for the Under-23’s.

It seems surprising that since he’s returned to fitness in the last year that the Saints haven’t looked into selling more. This news is perhaps the first time he has properly been linked with a move away.

However in truth a lot of Southampton fans have forgotten that the Romanian international is still on side’s books, as despite not replacing Virgil van Dijk following his sale to Liverpool, he’s still not even remotely considered for first team football.

With that in mind, it seems only fair that Gardos – who could still have five or six years of first team football left in the tank – moves on this summer. A move back to his native Romania seems the most obvious option.

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