Southampton: Ross Stewart contract claim made - he's "up there with Haji Wright" as Championship's best | OneFootball

Southampton have been backed to give former Sunderland striker Ross Stewart a new contract at St Mary's Stadium

Southampton striker Ross Stewart's contract is set to expire this summer, but the Saints do have the option to extend his stay on the South Coast by a further 12 months.

Stewart joined the Saints from Sunderland in 2023 for a bumper fee of an initial £8 million, but his game time has been severely limited due to a series of injury issues.

The 29-year-old has proven his worth in recent weeks, though, scoring in Championship clashes with both Leicester City and Charlton Athletic before notching the winning goal from the penalty spot as Southampton knocked Premier League Fulham out of the FA Cup.

Partly thanks to Stewart's efforts, the Saints are now just three points adrift of the second-tier play-off spots despite being held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.

Southampton told to give Ross Stewart a new contract despite one-year option dilemma

Stewart was subbed off at half-time when Southampton drew 1-1 with West Brom, and his replacement, Cyle Larin, scored a late equaliser for Tonda Eckert's side.

However, the former Sunderland hotshot will hope to lead the line once again when the Saints travel to Championship leaders Coventry City this Saturday.

Football League World asked our Southampton fan pundit, Martin Sanders, what he thinks the future holds for Stewart, and if he could be given a new contract - and the response was glowing.

Sanders told FLW: "Ross Stewart, he's been good, he's a real handful. I love him a lot.

"I think a lot of Saints fans want him to do well, and you saw on the weekend when he came on, he's just a handful. His give-and-go is brilliant.

"His contract's up. Whether they can come to a negotiation and do something where they give him a basic plus bonuses when he scores, I think they will come to an arrangement with him.

"They've invested too much time in his rehab just to throw it away. I think on his day, he's unplayable. I think he can be one of the best strikers in that league, in my opinion.

"I think he can be up there with Haji Wright if he's fit and available. I think, if he had been available since the start of the season, he would have been one of the top scorers in this division."

Ross Stewart would be best served if Southampton stay in the Championship

As summarised by Sanders, Stewart has proven his worth in the Championship in recent weeks and would likely be a regular goalscorer in the second tier if he hadn't encountered fitness issues.

Meanwhile, following a poor start to the campaign under former boss Will Still, Southampton have turned their fortunes around and could finish in the top six with Eckert in charge.

Eckert has been eyed by Bundesliga and Serie A clubs, which is a testament to the positive work he is doing in the dugout at the St Mary's Stadium.

However, Stewart would actually be best served if Southampton stay in the Championship, rather than sealing an immediate Premier League return via the play-offs.

The two-cap Scotland international is yet to make a full season's worth of appearances since moving to the South Coast from Sunderland in 2023, and consequently has a lack of top-flight experience.

He has a better chance of performing regularly next term if Eckert's men stay in the second tier, provided he is handed a new contract - although that one-year option will almost certainly be triggered if an agreement can't be reached before then.