Southampton 'likely' to agree St. Mary's deal with £9m star

Southampton winger Mohamed Elyounoussi is likely to stay at the club beyond this summer, according to The Sun’s Tom Barclay.

Elyounoussi has shone under Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary’s this term, but he could have a big decision to make on his future soon.

The 41-cap international has featured regularly for Southampton in 2021/22, making 27 appearances across all competitions.

In these matches, he has scored eight goals and provided three assists, with his standout performance coming back in August when he netted a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup against Newport County.

Elyounoussi is out of contract next year, though, and the clock could be ticking on his time on the South Coast.

The 27-year-old recently revealed that he wants to stay at Southampton as he feels he has a lot more to offer, having only rejoined the club at the start of the season after a two-year loan spell at Celtic.

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Elyounoussi’s future may be somewhat taken out of his hands if Southampton decide not to offer the £9m-rated forward a new deal.

However, following Elyounoussi’s comments, Barclay expects him to remain at the Premier League club.

When asked about the likelihood of Elyounoussi sticking around, Barclay told GIVEMESPORT: “I think it’s probably more likely than not, at the moment. I agree with him about this almost feeling like being his first proper season, which is funny because it’s the fourth season into his contract.”

Elyounoussi has only found the net twice since the turn of the year in the Premier League, and Southampton may be a little disappointed with that figure.

Danny Ings departed the club last summer, meaning the side need players from a variety of positions to chip in with