MANAGER Ralph Hasenhuttl reportedly pushed Saints to offer goalkeeper Alex McCarthy a new contract.
The 32-year-old is yet to feature in the Premier League this campaign with summer signing Gavin Bazunu the Austrian’s number one.
McCarthy’s only appearance did yield a clean sheet, coming in the 3-0 victory at League One outfit Cambridge United in the EFL Cup.
With both of the senior goalkeeper’s contracts expiring last season, it was McCarthy whom was retained while Fraser Forster moved on a free transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.
This, despite the fact former Celtic hero Forster ended the season as the Saints number one, playing 17 consecutive Premier League games between the end of December and beginning of May.
That is because, as The Athletic report, McCarthy signed his three-and-a-half-year contract extension back in August 2021 – on the proviso and salary of being the first-team goalkeeper.
The report continues to detail how Hasenhuttl pushed the club to award McCarthy the contract, despite some belief held that it was Forster who was adapting more to the modern game.
This summer, the club acted quickly to bring in 20-year-old Bazunu as the first of 10 summer additions and next tied Willy Caballero down to a further year.
Caballero has been credited by Hasenhuttl as a major player in the Saints dressing room, while The Athletic report adds McCarthy is notably supportive of young Bazunu.
Confident Bazunu is yet to keep a clean sheet at Saints and has had some teething issues during his debut season in the big league, but retains the confidence of staff and supporters alike.
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