With Southampton looking likely to be in the Championship next season rather than be promoted out of it, Bree, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, could be an important player to hold onto for the Saints.
Bree Makes Contract Call
Despite characteristic self-depricating remarks from Charlton and former-Saints boss Nathan Jones, James Bree sounds like a man wanting to stay put at Southampton.
After his match-winning goal against Leicester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, Bree admitted to the Daily Echo, “I've loved my time here over three years. It's not all been smooth sailing personally, but I love the club. Everyone has always helped me at the club. If there is something I can do to extend it [contract], I would definitely love to do it.”
Since returning to the Saints' starting lineup against rivals Portsmouth, Bree has been one of the side’s top performers, being paramount to the fluid formation change to the back four.
When asked about changing formations in January, Saints head coach Tonda Eckert said, “I think with James Bree coming in on Monday [returning from Charlton loan], there's also a little bit more chance to maybe tweak the way we set up.”
Bree coming in and allowing for this change has certainly been effective, and the German manager clearly hopes for the English full-back to stay put.
When asked if Bree should be given a new contract, Eckert said: "The club knows my opinion, I'm very happy with the way he's contributing at the very moment, and the rest goes to a level higher up."
Another blow for Nathan Jones
It appears Charlton boss Nathan Jones, who went down as one of Southampton’s worst managers in recent history after a disastrous three-month stint, has been caught out trying to force the Saints’ hand in returning James Bree for the second half of the season.
Nathan Jones when asked about James Bree in January: "We wanted to keep James. We didn’t want him to go back. James didn’t want to go back. But if he is going to go back then I think he wants to play. We would have liked to have kept him and we still would.”
"Southampton is the only regret I have in life" 😕
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Nathan Jones looks back at his time at Southampton and how he has helped turn Charlton's form around 📈 pic.twitter.com/YZPMKDWqUA
Saints boss Tonda Eckert told a different story on the matter: “He [Bree] says that he's fully invested in this project, no matter what happens in the summer.”
Southampton fans will be hoping for another win to make it six games unbeaten on Saturday, and will be vying for James Bree to be the eventual match-winner against pantomime villain Jones.