Saints are keen to get Maarten Stekelenburg back to St Mary's next season as back up to Fraser Forster, but they aren't willing to pay over the odds.

When Stekelenburg was first touted for a permanent move to St Mary's a fee of £2 million was quoted as how much Fulham wanted for the Dutchman.

Given that he only cost £3 million when he signed for them that amount was never going to be an option especially since it appears that we paid £750k as a loan fee last season.

Having failed in their attempts to exhort £2 million from us Fulham are now looking at other options in their attempts to get the keeper and more importantly his £25k a week wages off their books and this could be a stumbling block.

Stekelenburg will know that with his track record for the last few years not exactly being top notch he is unlikely to get anywhere near £25k a week should he leave Fulham permanently, although Fulham seem keen to slash the transfer fee with £750k being the new asking price, wages are the issue.

Saints know that they are in the driving seat and for them £750K plus £25k a week wages was OK last season when they needed the Dutch keeper to step into the first team till Forster returned, but they feel its a lot to pay for a back up keeper.

They would prefer to sign Stekelenburg permanently but there is some negotiating to do.

That means that Fulham are looking increasingly unlikely to receive a fee of any sort for the keeper.

The two options are narrowing down to another loan deal, this time without the fee and Stekelenburg still receiving his £25 k a week or a permanent move where without a transfer fee Saints can pay a higher signing on fee to help compensate for a drop in wages.

Fulham in the meantime are keen to see him go and get him off the wage bill, they do not want the burden of that for another year as they are going to struggle to find a club who will take him and cover the full wages for a third season.

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