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Southampton have a ‘duty’ to offer manager Ralph Hasenhüttl ‘prospects’ this summer to keep him at the club.

That’s according to Sport Buzzer journalist Hendrik Buchheister, who warns the Saints that the Austrian’s patience could wear thin in the long run.

Southampton currently find themselves amid another tough run of form, with Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park their first defeat in six games.

They currently sit bottom of the Premier League form table, with performances having dropped off a cliff after they hit the top of the table in November.

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Hasenhüttl, though, does not find himself under increased pressure, with many still convinced he is the right man for the Saints long-term.

They, though, will have to offer him ‘prospects’ if they are to keep him at the club, according to Buchheister.

He argues that Hassenhüttl has done a ‘splendid job’ at St Mary’s and given the club a ‘clear playful identity’, something which has seen him linked with big jobs elsewhere.

The current crisis is not down to him but can be largely explained by bad luck with injuries and a thin squad, something that will need solving in future.

Southampton need to ‘support’ Hassenhuttl with transfers if they are to push on, but as one of the most ‘thrifty’ clubs in the league, that seems unlikely to happen.

The fact their owner also wants to sell the club is not a good omen either, with the club ‘more or less on standby’ and unlikely to move forwards until they are sold.

That means Saints fans will have to hope Hasenhuttl ‘will be patient’ and wait for that day and that he will resist ‘possible advances’ from bigger clubs to stay where he is.