Ronald Koeman will only consider extending his stay at Saints if he believes the club are ambitious to move forward.

The Saints boss is now halfway through his three-year deal and has been a huge success at St Mary’s.

Koeman led the club to seventh place in the Premier League last season and is considered a man who can help Saints make the next step up, should they wish to try and make that leap.

Following on from the Daily Echo’s comment piece yesterday, which discussed at length the crossroads Saints currently find themselves at, Koeman was asked about his own future, whether it was indeed ‘an elephant in the room,’ and if an extended stay for him depended on the club’s ambition He replied: “Of course. It’s all about ambition and we will speak about it.

“Still I think it’s too early for that.

“We have to focus on the football side but of course my future in the club is depending the future what the club can do and what the club likes to go forward.

“It’s all about ambition because I hate to stay in a situation there is no ambition.

“Until now, today, the club is showing that ambition and if it continues like that and the club continue like that, and the possibility is to grow and to spend, then of course it will have a big influence in my decision to stay or not to stay.”

Koeman reiterated his belief that Saints have done as much as they can in the transfer market, despite having sold big name players for two consecutive summers.

He also insisted that as things stand with their current budget it is unrealistic to expect Saints to be able to finish seventh on a regular basis.

Next summer is clearly going to be a decisive time for Koeman as he sees whether Saints are ready to spend or not.

“What I mentioned the club is doing everything what we can,” he said.

“That’s about maybe for next season and to grow and to bring better players in and still more competition and to grow as a team. Also in different parts of the club the club is growing. “There is much more people in the club working and that needs time. It’s not for today and tomorrow.

“It needs time in five or six years, but of course they need to show that ambition and that’s what I mentioned before that will be a big influence on the decision.”

For now, Koeman is focussed on tomorrow’s match at Norwich, and trying to get Saints taking their chances in front of goal again.

“It’s also about to make the right decisions in front and to be more clinical,” he said.

“We have had a lot of training sessions about that and it’s sometimes difficult because it’s maybe about confidence.

“Of course it’s not so easy to put the money on the table and to sign a goalscorer because they are too expensive if you like really to have sureness about players who will make the difference. They don’t come to Southampton.”