Southampton are increasingly concerned that Ronald Koeman will not extend this contract this summer and have shortlisted Eddie Howe, the Bournemouth manager, as a possible successor to the Dutchman.
The south coast club plan fresh talks with the 53-year-old at the end of the season when he will have a year left on his present deal. Koeman has said that he will be in charge next season but has given no assurances beyond that.
Southampton have mapped out a new five-year plan to try to get him to stay on. He indicated to the club in the winter that he might be willing to sign a two-year extension, but wants assurances over the club’s vision, strategy and transfer budget.
Koeman began talks in January, when he cut an increasingly frustrated figure amid concerns about the club’s ambition and how much he can spend if Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mané are sold, as expected, at the end of the season. At that time, Southampton had lost eight out of ten games in all competitions but they have since recovered and have a good chance of a claiming a Europa League place.
The former Feyenoord manager has attracted interest from bigger clubs and Southampton are keen to identify a replacement if he decides not to renew his deal. They tried to appoint Howe as a successor to Alan Pardew in 2010 but he turned it down and they appointed Nigel Adkins. Howe has since been promoted with Bournemouth, who are 15th in the Barclays Premier League.