Jack Stephens has been retained by Southampton which leaves a hot topic of discussion among the fans.
Realize it or not, but the first phase of the summer transfer window is closing today. And unlike what was expected, Southampton are ending the inaugural 10 days without any big transfer sale completed.
Yet, after going inactive for days, Southampton's recent procedures have brought some buzz back to St. Mary's. Well, that's because the Saints have finalised the set of retained players for next season.
Now, barring the certain departures of Kyle Walker-Peters, there aren't many surprises for the fans here. Except for their captain, Jack Stephens.
To be honest, given the underwhelming season Stephens had, it would have made sense for Southampton to bid bye to their club veteran this summer. But in a surprise twist, Stephens has made the Saints’ retained list.
Jack Stephens' retention splits St. Mary's faithful into two
Well, what this further translates to is that Southampton backs the 31-year-old for another spell at least, giving him a renewal against his soon-expiring contract. Pinpointedly, that's what has sparked discussions among the St. Mary's faithful.
That's because with young options like Ronnie Edwards already proving their mettle on loan, why stick in with Stephens, who hasn't been consistent at all in the last few seasons? That too, for a Championship spell, where leadership counts but if only backed by form.
And to top it all, this decision further dimlights the certainty over who would be the Captain next season. Had Southampton parted ways with Stephens, they might have started with a fresh young name, but nothing stands clear as of now.
Yet, on the other hand, for the fans supporting the decision, their reasoning is simple. Having been denied the opportunity to give club heroes Adam Lallana and KWP a farewell, they won't want to miss it with Jack Stephens, who is the longest-serving Saint in the current squad.
Well, reaching a conclusion on this Jack Stephens' retention is far more difficult than it seems. Let's just hope that Southampton's decision proves right in the future.