According to reports from The Express this morning, Southampton intend to offer midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama a new five-year contract.
The Kenyan international arrived at St. Mary’s from Celtic in summer 2013 for a then-club record fee of £12.5million and has since emerged as an integral component of the Saints’ starting Xi, amassing 57 appearances in the Premier League.
Arsenal and Tottenham were both linked with the 6 foot 2 defensive midfielder during the summer transfer window, the Lilywhites allegedly considering a bid around the £16million mark.
Manager Ronald Koeman insisted the 24 year-old, along with Manchester United target Sadio Mane, wouldn’t be sold, telling reporters; “There is no bid for any player. Not for Wanyama, not for Sadio, not anyone. We have to deal with rumours of the press and maybe somebody of Manchester [United] – I don’t know. There is no contact and no bid for nobody and we don’t sell any more players. That is very clear in my opinion.”
That reportedly prompted Wanyama to inform the club that he wanted to leave on two separate occasions during the final week of the transfer window, resulting in his absence during a 3-0 Premier League win over Norwich City last Sunday.
But Wanyama’s mooted move to north London never materialised and according to The Express, Southampton are now determined to offer him a new deal.
Executive director Les Reed has said; “We’d like to tie him down for another five years. Whether that’s possible or not, I don’t know, but the opportunity is there to do that.”