As European clubs continue to circle, Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl should axe centre-back Jannik Vestergaard this summer rather than losing him for free when his contract expires at the end of next season.

According to The Athletic, a number of clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany are keeping tabs on the defender after his impressive performances for Southampton and Denmark in recent months.

Despite Southampton's woeful defensive record last season, which saw them concede the second-most goals of any side in the Premier League, Vestergaard was one of the most consistent performers in Hasenhuttl's side.

The 28-year-old, who reportedly earns £60k per week at Southampton, earned an average rating of 6.89/10 from WhoScored for his performances in the top-flight, which was enough to rank him as the third-best performer in Hasenhuttl's side.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has also been key to Denmark's run to the semi-finals of the European Championships this summer, which will surely only increase the interest being shown in him.

Despite him being a hugely important player at St Mary's, with Hasenhuttl suggesting that he was not for sale, the Austrian manager should definitely consider cashing in on him this summer.

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Vestergaard's contract expires in 2022, meaning that foreign clubs will be able to discuss signing him on a free transfer from January 2022, and a new contract doesn't appear to be on the horizon.

Southampton paid £18m to sign the giant defender three years ago and after establishing himself as a key player for club and country, you would hope that they would be able to sell him for a similar fee should he depart this summer.

You would hope that the South Coast club recognise that, if he isn't going to sign a new deal, selling him is the best option this summer, as his transfer value is only going to decrease further as we approach the new season and the closing of the transfer window.

Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand suggested in 2020 that he felt Vestergaard has "great potential" and it seems as if the interested clubs from across Europe agree, so Southampton should definitely cash in on him now while they still can.

And, in other news... Saints missed out on £16.2m-rated "monster"