Nathaniel Clyne has been set a fresh deadline to decide on his Saints future.

The England right back has been told that Saints need an answer on whether he will pen a lucrative new deal at St Mary’s by the end of next weekend.

Clyne will have just one year remaining on his current contract at the end of the season, and is likely to be sold in the summer if he declines a new offer, with Manchester United heavily linked with a move for the 24-year-old.

The negotiations have been protracted to say the least, but it really is getting towards decision day now.

Saints boss Ronald Koeman said: “We are still speaking with Clyney and his agent but of course we have to know in ten days now.

“The club is doing an offer the maximum what we can do and we expect the answer of that player.”

He added: “I spoke to Clyney. He’s very happy and of course there is maybe some interest.

“I don’t know because nobody really had a bid for the player and maybe I read the press there is some interest.

“All the players are happy in the team and how the team are doing but it’s football and you never know.”

Saints fans are hoping for the best but starting to fear the worst the longer the wait goes on.

Koeman was asked what the delay was and responded: “Ask him, I don’t know. Ask his agent, I don’t know.”

He was also quizzed as to what the club would do in the event that Clyne declined to sign a new deal.

“You know in football if you go in your last season of contract we don’t like that. I think that’s my answer,” he said.

Another player with a year left on his contract at the end of the season is Jay Rodriguez, who is constantly being linked with a move away.

However, right now Saints are focussing on getting him back to fitness after a year out through injury.

“He was already two days involved in the session, yes,” reported Koeman.

“Fantastic, first for Jay to be part of it and to be involved in really a football player and that’s good, it’s the next step and now, ok, we have the programme to make every day a step and to have really in one or two weeks to really have contacts and to be like a normal player involved in all the parts of the sessions and all the exercises.

“We are planning. The under-21s still have some games to play and maybe around two weeks he can be part of a match and, ok, it’s all about how he’s going the next week and the second week.”