It's hard to put a price on a player who has featured just 35 times in two and a half seasons. However, the value of promotion to the Premier League is somewhere in the region of £200 million and that is something that Ross Stewart could certainly help with.
Southampton have a decision to make. And it is one that could define this season and the next.
Ross Stewart’s contract expires this summer. That much we know. But it has now been revealed by reporter George Rees-Julian that there is an extension clause in the deal he signed when arriving from Sunderland in September 2023.
Saints must activate it.
Saints Cannot Afford To Gamble
Promotion is very far from guaranteed. Even if optimism is growing. Even if momentum is building. It's still an improbability, and another season in the Championship is the more likely scenario.
Indeed, Southampton should prepare for another season in the Championship, and Stewart could be vital in that scenario because proven strikers at this level are not easy to find.
There have been glimpses of what he can do.
Against Leicester in the 4-3 comeback win, he changed the game after replacing Cameron Archer. He scored once, created another, and led the line with presence. It was the kind of display that reminded fans why Saints paid £10 million for him.
His record at Sunderland speaks for itself. Twenty-six goals in 49 games in League One during their promotion season. He certainly knows where the net is, and given the opportunities, could still be an important player for Southampton.
And yet Southampton still have not truly assessed him.
Injuries Have Clouded The Picture
Stewart’s time on the south coast has been heavily disrupted. Achilles surgery. Hamstring issues. Calf problems. Stop and start. Promise and frustration.
He has made 35 appearances and scored five goals. Many of those outings have been brief cameos from the bench when, to be fair to the player, he has always made an impact. His substitute appearance against Hull City resulted in a goal that brought his side back into the match.
That is not enough evidence to make a final judgement.
Saints owe it to themselves to see the fully fit version. Because if he can stay on the pitch, he could fire his side to promotion just as he did at Sunderland. There is also the financial angle.
If Stewart stays fit next season and scores goals, his value increases. If Saints choose to sell, they recoup a stronger fee. If they let his contract run down, they weaken their position. It is simple squad management.
Adam Armstrong has gone. Cameron Archer has struggled for consistency. Cyle Larin is settling, but is not a long-term solution. Stewart offers something different and something physical.
Sometimes football decisions are complicated but this one is not.
Extend the deal. Protect the asset. Give him a proper run. And then judge him fairly because Southampton still do not know what they truly have in Ross Stewart.