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Southampton boss Ronald Koeman wants to stay, but keep star players

Southampton coach Ronald Koeman has hinted he wants assurances the club's best players will not be sold before he commits to a new contract.

Koeman, 53, is about to complete his second season in charge and has 12 months remaining on his deal.

He led the club into the Europa League this term, but they failed to make it into the group stage. They are well placed to qualify again this season, and currently sit seventh and that would be enough for European football should Manchester United win the FA Cup.

Saints have earned a reputation for selling their star players. Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin were sold last summer after Koeman's first season at the helm, and those departures came 12 months after Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren were moved on.

Koeman is ready to talk about extending his stay at St Mary's, but would rather not have a revolving door policy for his squad.

He told reporters: "I had a short talk with [executive director of football] Les Reed about the future and I said, 'Let's have a coffee and a talk after the last game.'

"Everybody knows I have left one year's contract but if the club likes to have a talk about that I will listen.

"First we have to talk and then conclude something. It's nice to be wanted by Southampton because that is the club where I worked also for one more year.

"If it is realistic I don't know but of course you want to keep everybody; keep the best players and still have a stronger team next season than we have this season. We will see what Les tells me. It is not about today.

"Sometimes it is good to have some changes in the team or to sell players because that means you can have a stronger squad in numbers. But it is difficult every season if you lose one, two or three players.

"We are Southampton and it is a big achievement to everybody we are fighting for Europe because that was our ambition at the start of the season."