SAINTS’ big signing of this summer will NOT be a striker, a central defender or a midfielder. It will NOT be convincing Victor Wanyama to stay. It WILL be getting Ronald Koeman to sign a new contract.

Koeman’s managerial status at St Mary’s is already fast heading towards legendary status.

Saints feel as if they are on the cusp of an era of success that they haven’t tasted so consistently at the top level since Lawrie McMenemy left back in 1985.

Though the club are all about succession planning, and not being reliant on just one man, nobody should under-estimate Koeman’s importance.

In football grand philosophies are all well and good, but speak quietly to any player and what they tell you is about the dressing room, their teammates, and how their manager is handling affairs.

That is what, ultimately, affects their performances, and the success or otherwise of a club above all else.

It’s important to put in the small building blocks in the background. But as much as many clubs won’t like to admit, the manager is just as important as ever they were back in the days when they ran the show from top to bottom.

Koeman staying is key to Saints continuing their recent progress.

He is due to sit down and listen to Saints’ plans for the future this week, before jetting off on holiday at the weekend.

What Les Reed tells him in that meeting is going to be key to his decision as to whether to remain at the club for just the remaining season on his contract, or consider penning a new longer-term deal.

Not only would the stability that would bring be vital when it comes to keeping players and recruiting better ones, but his very presence should ensure continued success.

Koeman has proven to be a manager who just fits seamlessly into Saints.

He gets the club, its fans, its hopes, its dreams.

We know that Koeman’s own personal goals don’t end at St Mary’s.

He wants the Barcelona job, he wants to manage Holland.

All understandable.

But if Saints could be sure to keep him for a little while longer, then they have the chance to really lay the foundations for something special.

In terms of what Koeman will want to hear from Reed, you can be sure it will be how they back up their plans.

We hear a lot about five-year targets, about wanting to make the Champions League and so on.

Koeman will not want to hear that, as words are easy, but detail as to how they intend to make it happen.

Much of that will, ultimately, come down to money.

Not in his contract - Koeman is not motivated by cash - but in terms of investment in the playing squad.

Whilst others have got carried away over the last couple of seasons, Koeman has been resolute in his insistence that for Saints to really compete with the mega rich clubs in the land over the course of a long season is pretty unrealistic as it stands.

Yes, Leicester did it, but that was a one-off, and we all know given the ambitions and resources of the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man United it will likely be very different next time out.

Koeman will want to be sure his star players won’t be sold, and that he will have the kind of money required not just to strengthen the squad, but to actually buy players capable of improving the first team.

That’s where actions and not words and philosophies are required. Koeman knows that philosophies sound good but won’t provide tangible progress.

Saints are right to be cautious to a certain extent.

This club has been burned enough by financial problems in the not too distant past to think it’s a good idea to just fling money at a problem to solve it.

But there has to be a fine line if progress is to continue.

Keeping Koeman, and all that will surely have to bring for him to stay, feels like, in the short to medium term, the key to that happening.