Saints plan to tie down Wanyama with long term deal

Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama, who was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window, has been offered a new five-year contract by the club, according to British media reports.

Wanyama has bridges to build with the club after failing to force through his move and was left out of Sunday's 3-0 home win over Norwich City for not being "mentally and physically good enough to play", according to Southampton manager Ronald Koeman.

"We'd like to tie him down for another five years. Whether that's possible or not, I don't know, but the opportunity is there to do that," Les Reed, the club's executive director of football, was quoted as saying by British media reports.

The Saints will hope to welcome back a fresh and ready Wanyama when he returns from international duty next week.

Reed is confident that the issues surrounding the transfer have now been resolved and the Nigeria international will be focused on the Saints when he returns to England.

"There was a lot of talk, and unfortunately that unsettles players," Reed, the former FA technical director, told the club's website (www.saintsfc.co.uk).

"Talk leads to media hype, and it's not good to be playing competitive matches with all of this going on in the background.

"I don't blame Victor because it is very unsettling for a young man who is very ambitious and wants to do well.

"It might work out very well that there's an international break, so Victor can relax, go home, see friends and family and then come back fresh and ready for our Premier League campaign."