Southampton Preparing to Offer Mark Hughes a New Contract After Swans Win Secures Saints Safety

Southampton are reportedly ready to open talks with manager Mark Hughes over a new contract. The Welshman has spent the last two months trying to keep the Saints in the Premier League, and having just secured a win over Swansea that all but guarantees their safety, the board are looking to keep Hughes beyond the summer.

It was a nervy affair in South Wales on Tuesday night, but Manolo Gabbiadini's 71st minute winner took the weight off the shoulders of the south coast outfit, and the Swans now carry the weight of impending relegation from the top flight.

According to Daily Mail, Southampton are keen to tie Hughes down to a new deal. The Welshman had already reportedly probed the idea of a new deal with Southampton, even if the club were to suffer relegation. 

He held talks with the hierarchy recently after being impressed with the club's setup, and after spending the last couple of months in a hotel, Hughes may well be spending the summer hunting for a house.

His new contract would not arrive without demands, though. Hughes is believed to be eager to keep hold of his key staff, and Southampton would have to offer full-time deals for coaches Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki.

The club would also have to meet his wage demands and grant him a considerable transfer budget heading into the new season. Hughes is determined to avoid a repeat of this season for the club, and an overhaul of the playing staff would go a long way to helping that.