Contract time bomb at St Mary's (From Daily Echo)

Contract time bomb at St Mary's

11:30am Wednesday 2nd May 2012 in Saints News By Gordon Simpson , Senior Sports Reporter

SAINTS have a host of players whose contracts are due to expire in a year’s time.

Nine first-team stars are due to become free agents in the summer of 2013 – and there are some notable names among them.

Richard Chaplow, 27, is one of those due to enter the final year of his current deal when the new season begins.

The midfielder made 28 appearances and scored four goals as Saints won promotion to the Premier League.

Brazilian forward Guly do Prado is another who has just one year left on his deal.

The 30-year-old scored 11 goals during the most recent season, although he didn’t hit the net after mid-January.

Right-backs Frazer Richardson and Danny Butterfield are both set to be out of contract in 2013, as is winger Jason Puncheon and centre half Dan Seaborne.

Left back Ryan Dickson, who finished the season on loan at Leyton Orient, keeper Tommy Forecast, who has never played for the first-team in four years with the club, and versatile Ben Reeves are also on the list.

It remains to be seen whether Saints will open negotiations with any of those players over the summer.

Many of the club’s top names have already been tied down to long-term contracts, with a large number committed to St Mary’s until either 2014 or 2015.