One player who will come back from the Euro's with his reputation improved rather than damaged will Be Graziano Pelle, but when he returns their will need to be some big decisions made.

Graziano Pelle has seen his stock rise having scored twice for Italy in France, however when he returns to St Mary's it will be to an uncertain future, albeit one that has plenty of promise for an extremely happy ending.

Through most of the season it looked like Pelle would return to his home country Italy in the close season and that view was strengthened by the signing of Charlie Austin who in many respects was his direct replacement.

Pelle has spoken of his desire to finish his career in Italy where he has never quite established himself in Serie A, having to go to Holland and now England to really prove how good he is and to win caps for his country.

Saints had let his contract run it's course and he is now about to enter the last year of it this week, so does he return to St Mary's in July to pack his bags or will Saints offer him a new deal ?

He still has a lot to offer, even though he will turn 31 in a few weeks, he was joint top scorer last season to add to the same accolade in his first at St Mary's, meaning that he has scored 23 Premier League goals in that time. A very good total seeing that he did not take penalties or free kicks, something that was a big part of Rickie Lambert's tally at the club.

He arrived at a difficult time in Saints history and had to step into the boots of crowd hero Rickie Lambert, something that a section of the crowd found hard to accept, but he did his job and made the £8 million we paid for him look a bargain.

He started this season very well and I would say that his performance in the 3-1 win at Chelsea was his best in a Saints shirt, but an injury in December saw Shane Long preferred from then on and the writing was on the wall when Austin arrived.

But his 11 goals from 23 starts plus another 7 off the bench are testimony to the fact that he still made a big contribution to the season, indeed several of his goals were the difference between 3 points or 1 or even none, indeed Mane might have got the plaudits for the comeback against Liverpool, but just as important in that game was Pelle's equaliser and perhaps more importantly a week earlier his brace in the 2-1 win at Stoke, this was perhaps the result that changed the course of the season, in eight days Pelle's goals had won us four points, they were the difference between sixth and ninth.

So the big question will be whether the new manager wants to see Pelle stay or whether he feels he has enough striking options or indeed wants to look elsewhere, even after the departure of Mane, Saints still have an attacking array that at least half of the teams in the Premier League would love to have, Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez are all proven scorers at this level, Dusan Tadic gets his fair share and the arrival of Nathan Redmond, will give the new man at least five options for the three attacking positions.

Should Saints decide to cash in then there seems to be no shortage of suitors for the Italian, in England it is rumoured that Ronald Koeman will return to sign him for Everton and Stoke City have also been linked. Koeman of course signed him for both Saints and his former club Feyenoord and has been a big influence, however it seemed their relationship soured in the second half of the season, so it wll be interesting to see whether anything happens there.

In Italy the likes of Juventus and Lazio are being linked and this could, along with his form for the Azzurri, push the asking price up.

A couple of months ago most assumed that Saints would probably rake in around £4-5 million for Pelle, that would be good business, but that price could now rise sharply and figures of £8 million, the price he joined the club for are now being quoted, indeed Saints could make a small profit.

This does seem the most likely option, football is a harsh game, the reality is that Pelle is slightly over what is seen as the peak age for a player, as with his predecessor Lambert, the trick is for the club to buy at a good price and then sell and replace at the right moment.

Many fans moaned about the sale of Lambert, but hindsight now shows us they got the deal spot on, the club realised then that Rickie's contribution in open play was waning and that his real danger was mainly with penalties and free kicks or at set pieces, they took the right action and were proved right, many could not see that at the time, but do now.

So I think that this is perhaps the course Saints will take with Pelle, they will feel that they have had his best, if they cash in now that provides a chunk of transfer money for his successor, that is the way that the club operates these days, some scream that it is selling our best players, the reality is that it is about continuing to move forward year by year and that does mean that we sometimes have to take a step backward to move two forward.

So if it is arrivederci Pelle, then I for one would like to thank him for his contributions over the two years, overall he has been a great buy for the club and a model professional, sadly there are not more like him in the modern day game.

Photo: Action Images

law101 added 09:08 - Jun 29 Dusan Tadic is not a goal scorer. Austin I feel will get goals but has only had one season in the PL. I also have my doubts he has the all round game to be the focal point of our attack. Much as I love J Rod, he hasn't showed any of the form he once had since injury sadly although I hope he comes good. Pelle also offers something different and compliments the strikers we have, offering us a different option home or away. That said I think he is off... time to target a more physical central striker and get one perhaps two wide forwards in (Musa, Boufal, Berahino?).

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JDawg added 09:10 - Jun 29 I think Pelle will be missed more than Wanyama and Mane combined. But if it is time for him to move on Saints cannot let him go to another Prem club.
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ChristchurchSaint added 09:15 - Jun 29 Depends on whether he would accept a one year extension or whether he would want longer. With 4 competitions next season, he could still play his part. A lot of strikers play into their 30s, and pace is not an important part of his game.
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pintsizedsaint added 09:18 - Jun 29 Difficult one this. Wanyama and Mane were relatively easy decisions given the circumstances but Pelle is a lot different. I would love him to stay, but would understand if he did leave for Italy and/or a big fee. I think he's got one more season of challenging for a starting position for the majority of the season. However, that would likely mean him leaving on a free. One year extension might be interesting but doubtful both sides will agree to that. If a silly offer came in (and yes that's likely to be Everton) then it's tempting. If a good offer from Italy came in then I think it would be time to say thanks and best wishes.

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SonicBoom added 09:26 - Jun 29 That's a very positive view of our striking options Nick. Austin was a gamble when we signed him due to a suspect injury record. He's hardly played since January so perhaps all the rest over the summer and a good pre season will mean he is first choice but that is yet to be seen. JR is anyone's guess. Another that scores goals but again has barely played in two years now. That has to be a serious concern. Oh and Tadic does not get "his fair share". He gets the odd goal. So unless we have another striker up our sleeve for the summer (and there are some reports that we do) then keeping Pelle for another year would be a good idea. That said he may want to leave anyway if he can get a 2 year deal elsewhere. Either way our striking options for next season are far from certain right now.

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larry12 added 09:27 - Jun 29 I think Pelle is too static and stops speed in attack. When he got injured, Long Mane and Tadic could finally play. When Pelle, Davis and Ward-Fauntleroy started last season, we had as much chance of scoring as Les Reed has of finding out that the Academy hasn't got Premiership worthy players at the moment. That would then suggest that his head is in Cloud Cuckoo Land and he then becomes A/THE complete idiot.

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highfield49 added 09:32 - Jun 29 At present we appear to have three forwards with knee problems of varying severity. My view is that one of them needs to be replaced (the player, not the knees) and Pelle appears to be the most marketable. If he goes to Italy or elsewhere that's kind of ok but please not to a rival team, we've all had enough of that thanks. As stated in a previous post I'd love to see Musa come in from CSKA, he looks like the ideal replacement for Mane.

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saintinexile added 09:45 - Jun 29 Austin will score goals when he is fit and plays. He cost £4m. It was a gamble, and one that the current Saints can well afford. It probably reflects his true worth due to his fitness record. He is handy to have around but not a player to rely on. Pity, nice guy, good player, not his fault, just fact.
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sidsaint added 09:50 - Jun 29 With the names of other possible strikers coming in it looks like the decision to sell may have been made. I would offer him a 1 year extension but I think if Juve comes calling he would go back to his own country.
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Supasaint9 added 09:54 - Jun 29 Just give him a 2 year deal!!!
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helpineedsomebody added 10:10 - Jun 29 if conte comes knocking he will go to chelsea & good luck to him , if not me with europe leauge coming we will need him + more players. i would certainly give him a 2 year extension becouse he is a very good player. apart from chelsea / it will be down to money becouse there is not many contracts left in him.
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davenbennett added 10:17 - Jun 29 I would like to see him stay, with 2 year deal. We just do not know about Jay Rod, or Austin for that matter. Will they last an entire season without breaking down? Will Jay Rod ever play again? But, if sold, agree with not to Premier rivals. He has said he wants to finish up in his home of Italy, so Juve yes; Everton no.
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Shano added 10:52 - Jun 29 Age is a just a no. The guy is a Southampton player.. He has scored the most goals for our club in the last two seasons. He is very fit, gee, he is currently leading the line for ITALY at Euro and just played a 90 minute blinder vs SPAIN. How many players have Saints had of that ilk in recent memory? As a fan I want to show loyalty to him and sign him up for another couple years extension if HE wants to stay. Except for a stupid offer, I'm more than happy to see his contract run down if he's happy for one more year, before returning to his homeland. The publicity he's giving Saints worldwide must be worth a small fortune in iteslf. Keep him in the red and white Les.. One, two or three more years I don't care, just keep him!.. oh and we have that little thing called Europa on the horizon..

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DPeps added 10:59 - Jun 29 If we sell Pelle we'd definitely need to replace. Agree with others that that attack looks thin on the ground without Pelle and Mane, especially with the Europa league next season. Jay R and Austin can't be relied upon due to injuries, which leaves Long - a player who I rate but not as the main man. I'd love Pelle to stay because he's still improving. Last season was difficult because he was carrying an injury and then in recovery, but was still joint top goalscorer. If he goes, however, good luck to him. He's a total beast but has a silky touch, and hardly ever misses his chances. I think he'll go to Italy to prove that he can do the business there.

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SanMarco added 11:33 - Jun 29 I am just curious as to why 'the new manager' is mentioned as having an opinion on this. Are we establishing a tradition where the incoming man is consulted on the third person in the queue? I'd like to see him stay but we know he won't. davenbennet hits the nail on the head - sell him to Italy but not to those rivals below us/well below us in last year's table.
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law101 added 12:25 - Jun 29 Another point worth noting is how well Pelle is performing in Europe.. both at the Euro's and in the early Europa league games last year. Think he could be a real asset for us, realistically given his age and contract we won't get much for him. Probably makes more financial sense for us to lose him on a free or have no sell on value with a 2 year contact.
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BUCK added 13:52 - Jun 29 If pelle leaves,it'll be for about 5 maybe 6 million tops. Last 12 months of his contract almost cuts his value in half, I say use him as a part exchange for zaza
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SaintPaulVW added 15:45 - Jun 29 I'd like him to stay and as all our strikers form seems to come and go for longish periods, he can still do a job for us. However, if Italy do well at the Euros and his heart is set on a move back to Italy, I'm sure he'll be off.
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ElSanto added 16:54 - Jun 29 Probably will leave. This one is going to hurt the most this summer - maybe even more than Koeman. PELLE - CLASSIC NUMBER 9 COYR
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aceofthebase added 21:47 - Jun 29 Remember that a two year contract is the same as a one year extension. I believe that we should give him a three year contract IF he wants to stay.
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andyt56 added 21:53 - Jun 29 I hope he stays. He's been a great player for us imo. Don't forget in the Liverpool game, apart from his goal he set both of Mané's
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Bettwsresident added 22:10 - Jun 29 andty56 That is his real strength, holding the ball up and playing in fast runners. He is also very good in the air and has a rocket of shot...and has shown at the euros is pretty tidy at volleys...and while I think about his bicycle kick 2 years ago was amazing. His ballet skills coming through! Given the likely make up of saints next year I would love for saints to keep him. His game has never had pace but does have a lot of guile and these are the strikers that play long. He reminds me of Teddy Sheringham.

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Bettwsresident added 22:10 - Jun 29 also my better half will be gutted to see him go!
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