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This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has shared his views on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's contract situation at St Mary's.

The Denmark international has two years remaining on his current terms but told BBC Radio Solent at a recent event that he didn't want to focus on signing a new deal straight away, per the Daily Echo.

The 24-year-old has emerged as a key player for the Saints since signing from Bayern Munich back in 2016, and Hasenhuttl has encouraged him to put pen to paper.

What did he say?

The Austrian said: "We are always in contact with his agent and Pierre knows about his important role for this club.

"Like Nathan, it is a good signal if Pierre decides to stay with us longer. We would be happy, that is for sure, and he is a very important player for our team."

Must sign him up

If Southampton are forced to cash in on Højbjerg at the risk of losing him for nothing, then the Saints could be left with a real problem in terms of leadership within the squad.

Maya Yoshida, a man with 186 appearances for the Saints under his belt, is one of the more experienced pros in the dressing room and can help guide the younger players in the side - Southampton have the third-youngest squad in the league - but the Japan international is out of contract next year.

Aside from him, only Ryan Bertrand could be considered an experienced head, at the age of 30, but he has completed the 90 minutes just once this season in the Premier League.

Experienced 28-year-old Cedric Soares has also made just one league start this term, so his leadership ability isn't often available on the pitch following the emergence of Yan Valery.

As a result, if the Saints are forced to sell Højbjerg - their very own captain - then Hasenhuttl's XI could be left with a real leadership void. Jannick Vestergaard perhaps has the sheer presence to grow into a future leader of the team, but that's by no means guaranteed.

It may seem obvious to suggest Saints could be lost without their captain, but selling Højbjerg would leave the side really short of one crucial characteristic.

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