RALPH Hasenhuttl says Saints face “the same situation” going into the summer transfer window as they did last season, after a dismal end to the Premier League campaign.

The St Mary’s side picked up just five points from the last 12 matches, winning only once – a 1-0 victory over Arsenal – in that time.

Hasenhuttl had said earlier in the campaign that the higher Saints finish, the more they will be attractive to the likes of Armando Broja and new transfer targets.

However, going into the first summer window with owners Sport Republic next month, Saints have recorded a second consecutive 15th-placed finish with three less points (40) than last year.

“We had this situation last year the same,” Hasenhuttl said, asked if it will be difficult to go into the window with little positivity to shout about.

Daily Echo: Ralph Hasenhuttl at full-time of the 4-1 defeat at Leicester City (Pic: PA)Ralph Hasenhuttl at full-time of the 4-1 defeat at Leicester City (Pic: PA)

“We lost our best players in the summer and coming back everybody was speaking about us getting relegated and you can see we were standing up again and going again.

“The ability to fight and take the points we want to take.”

Saints may also see the exits of Shane Long and Fraser Forster, as their Saints deals come to and this summer – as well as Willy Caballero.

But Hasenhuttl says the impending exits will still depend on if they can operate as ambitiously as he hopes in the window.

“We don’t know what happens in the summer,” he admitted. “We don’t know how much we can do in the summer. We will see and then decide if we go with the player or not.

“The summer is important for us. We are not the brightest light on the Christmas tree that everybody looks at. Let’s have a look and see if we can convince with the arguments we have.”

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