Ryan Bertrand has addressed contract speculation regarding his Southampton future by stating his desire to stay at the south-coast club “for the long haul”.
The 31-year-old joined the club from Chelsea in a £10 million deal in 2015, having initially become a Saints player on loan. His current contract is set to expire at the end of this season.
Ryan Bertrand Wants to Earn Long-Term Southampton Stay
Defender Has Been a Mainstay at Left-Back For The Club
Bertrand, a Champions League winner with his former club in 2012, has made the left-back position his own since making the move to Southampton. The player has made 220 appearances for the Saints, scoring eight goals and assisting a further nineteen.
Despite having become a part of the furniture at Southampton, Bertrand told the Daily Echo that he still has a lot more he wants to achieve with the club, meaning he is targeting a long-term extension to his existing contract.
“Definitely, I want to stay. That’s my thought process,” the 31-year-old stated. “I see myself staying here and it would be great to be part of this club for the long haul.
“I’ve been here so long. I have still got plenty of years left in me. And [I want] to go beyond that and possibly work for the club even after football.
“I don’t think [a new contract is] too far away; it’s in the club’s hands to be honest,” Bertrand concluded.
Ralph Hasenhuttl Says Players Know How to Achieve New Deals
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was asked about the contract situation for Ryan Bertrand earlier in December and said that his players know what they must do to extend their stays at the club.
“We are in negotiations with a lot of players now,” said the Austrian. “We show them what we want them to do but we must be strong to stay in our [economic] limits.
“This is important for our future and that we have a healthy one. Whoever wants to follow us in invited and the rest are not ours,” added the 53-year-old.
Up next for Hasenhuttl’s in-form Saints is a Boxing Day encounter with Scott Parker‘s improving Fulham.
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