SAINTS' talks with Ronald Koeman about extending the manager's stay are going "very positively".

Executive Director of Football Les Reed has opened negotiations about extending the record-breaking Dutchman's so far remarkable stay at St Mary's.

Koeman has twice led Saints to their highest ever Premier League finish in his two seasons in England - despite having seen many of his best players sold.

The manager's contract is due to expire at the end of next season, and he has already been linked with the likes of Everton and Arsenal.

“Talks are ongoing all the time, and there is never really a point where you can say ‘on this day we’ll starting talking’,” Reed admitted last night.

“Conversations go on all the time about planning for the future. Ronald has mentioned recently that he’s sat down with us at board level and talked about the five-year plan.

“There’s no point going into contract negotiations about finance and money unless you’re all on the same wavelength about where the club is going.

“If Ronald is committing himself to the club for a longer period of time, it’s important we talk about our ambitions being aligned and that we are still trying to achieve the same things.

“We’re now at a point, as Ronald has said himself, where we’re actually getting down to the detail of the contract, which is where agents and lawyers get involved.

“Everything is going very positively at the moment.”