FORMER midfielder Jo Tessem has urged caution over Ross Stewart's St Mary's future after the Scotland striker's contract standoff with Saints.
Stewart's current deal is due to expire this summer, though Saints had attempted to trigger the one-year extension clause written into his deal.
However, they missed the window to activate that option, which was only valid up to five days after the final game of the season, due to the ongoing Spygate scandal.
Owner Dragan Solak told us that Saints sent notice to Stewart's representatives as soon as they were booted from the play-off final, but his lawyers disagreed.
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Stewart netted 11 times for Saints last season, but has missed more games than he has played across his three seasons on the south coast.
Tessem, who played 129 games for Saints, believes a fit Stewart is a "force" in the Championship but questioned the 29 year old's long-term fitness.
“If they wanted to keep him, they should have triggered that extension clause before the season ran out. They should have been on that," Tessem told BBC Radio Solent.
“They’ve lost that option and now find themselves in a different situation. Firstly, a fit Ross Stewart is a force in the Championship.
“He is a really good lone striker up there. He is quick, and he will score goals, but the problem with Ross Stewart is that he can end up sitting out 40 games on the sidelines.
“He’s injury-prone, and that’s the problem. Sometimes you have to look at whether it’s worth it, is he going to be fit? Let’s see when he comes back from the World Cup.
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“There is always a risk with him. Tonda Eckert managed him, got him fitter, got him stronger, and we saw his quality. He’s taken leaps from where he was with his injuries.
“A fit Ross Stewart, I would keep him, but this is the dilemma that we have got to face. It’s a difficult one.”
Stewart has scored 12 goals in 50 games for Saints since joining the club from Sunderland in the summer of 2023.
He made 33 appearances for the club during the 2025/26 season, the most he has managed in a single campaign since that deadline day move.
His form in this past season earned him a call-up to the Scotland squad for this summer's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Saints have completed the permanent signing of Cyle Larin, while they also have Cam Archer, Damion Downs and Nick Oyekunle as options at striker.
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