Southampton: Report reveals Saints duo set for contract renewal talks

Southampton duo Ryan Bertrand and Oriol Romeu are reportedly set for talks over contract renewals at St Mary’s.

According to a report from the Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson, both join Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on a list of players that Saints want at the club beyond the summer of 2021.

Hojbjerg looks likely to move on during the off-season if Saints get a suitable offer for his services, but Bertrand and Romeu look set to stay as part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad for a little longer yet.

This is certainly an interesting move by the club considering the situations that both are in at the moment.

Bertrand is the only senior left-back available to Hasenhuttl at the moment. Jake Vokins has appeared this season but is only just making his first steps onto the first-team scene.

Having been at the club since 2014, he is now one of the most senior players at St Mary’s and this is perhaps also in the thoughts of Saints as they offer him an extension.

Romeu joined in 2015 and has put in some very decent performances since signing from Chelsea as a replacement for Victor Wanyama.

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It did look as though the Spaniard may be on his way out back in the January transfer window, with La Liga side Celta Vigo said to be keen in signing him.

However, the Daily Echo then informed that Saints weren’t interested in letting him go with their midfield options so limited.

In many ways, Saints find themselves in a similar situation now.

The Coronavirus pandemic may well limit transfers this summer in terms of both movement between countries and finances available to clubs that have seen income reduce significantly.

Therefore, Saints will want to be keeping hold of any players that they know want to stay because their ability to sign players has been reduced.

Bertrand and Romeu obviously remain valuable to Ralph Hasenhuttl as he looks for that perfect blend between experience and youth in his squad.

The team is in need of a revamp in order for Hasenhuttl to be able to work his magic fully during the next four years, and both players may not be long-term options if the situation was different.

However, retaining them for the short-term will enable Saints to continue to have a healthy squad to choose from in the early days of their rebuilding process.