Saints May Have To Cash In On Star Defender Monday, 3rd Jun 2024 08:54 Most of the talk amongst Southampton fans is about who will be coming into the club during the summer, but there may well also be some departures and not just from the fringe s of the squad. One of the first issues that Russell Martin has to tackle is that of Jan Bednarek, the Polish defender is out of contract in the summer of 2025, so with just a year left of his contract, there is a decision to be made and southamptonfc.news suggest that that decision could be to sell him now, if he does not sign a new deal. Bednarek joined Southampton in the summer of 2017 and was initially a slow starter, although he made his debut a month after joining in the League cup, it would five months before he featured again, this time in the FA Cup.
Indeed it would be April 2018 before he made his League debut and it would be a scoring one when he notched the second goal in what would be a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea. Although he would go on to play 5 times in the League under new manager Mark Hughes as Saints survived a relegation battle by the skin of his teeth, the following season Hughes did not seem to fancy him and he would start just two League games before Hughes was sacked in December 2018. But when Ralph Hasenhuttl arrived the fortunes changed for Bednarek and for the remainder of 2018/19 and for the following 3 seasons he would be a regular in the side.
But in the summer of 2022 he became restless and forced a loan move to Aston Villa, if he thought that would see him move on a stage in his career though he would be wrong, he would make just 3 league appearances for Villa plus one more in the cup and returned to St Mary's in January 2023. In November 2022, Bednarek opened up on mental health struggles he had been having as the reasons for forcing the change of club. He returned to a side in deep trouble and in fairness brought some steel to the side, but the damage had already been done and Saints were to be relegated.
It was expected that Bednarek might depart last summer given his issues a year earlier, but there seemed to be little interest in signing him from the level of club that might interest him and he stayed for season 2023/24 in the Championship and once again became a rock in the team. So what does the future now hold for Bednarek, does he still feel that at 28 his future lies with the club or will he again be getting itchy feet and looking at options. From a Southampton perspective, it is a case of whether he will sign a new deal, if he does then that is stating the obvious, but if he doesn't then it would be fair to say that the club would be looking to cash in whilst they have time.
One thing that Russell Martin will have options in when his squad returns to training in a months time is the centre of defence, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Duje Caleta- Car will both return from loan and the manager will have to make a decision on their future. Hopefully the Taylor Harwood-Bellis deal will be completed without a hitch and with Jack Stephens able to play in the centre we will have numbers but perhaps still lacking the quality that we need.
That means that even if Bednarek stays and assuming that the two loaned out players leave, either permanently or out on loan again, we would still need to bring in another central defender, one with Premier League experience and organisational and leadership qualities. But first is the question of Jan bednarek and whether he stays or goes. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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