English Premier League club Southampton FC plan to tie down Shane Long with a new contract. Long has received a lot of interests from other Premier League sides including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs. Mauricio Pochettino is reported to be keen on acquiring the Saints’ player this summer, but The Saints want the player for keeps.

The club is reported to have already tied down other top talents as they also try to convince the head coach Ronald Koeman to remain with them going into next season.

The Ireland international, Long, is another player the club hope to convince to stay back. The contract is believed to be a bump contract to fend off others who are ready to swoop the player with the slightest chance, a bit like some punters would do in the casino when they see a weak hand on the spielautomaten tables.

Long scored ten goals in the Premier League this season for the first time but played impressive football. Spurs coach, Pochettino was pictured sitting alongside the frontman’s agent, Pat Dolan of Automatenherz, watching the 29-year old player in a friendly game when Republic of Ireland took on Holland last week.

Jurgen Klopp on the other hand is a known admirer of the player and has made enquiries for the former Hull, Reading and West Brom ace in January. Long still has two years left on his four year contract which he signed when he joined after completing an £11m move from Hull as one of Ronald Koeman’s first signings in July 2014.

Southampton have already tied possible loose ends with goalkeeper Fraser Forster, defender Virgil van Dijk and midfielder James Ward-Prowse as they have been receiving lots of buzz in the transfer market. Koeman himself is a target for Everton and the club is working tirelessly to keep the tactician. The Dutchman will meet with the director of football at the club as they hope to convince him to extend his stay at St Mary’s.