Saints fans will be pleased to hear that Michael Obafemi has signed a contract extension and is raring to get going again.
Saints announced this evening
"Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has agreed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with striker Michael Obafemi."
"The 18-year-old Academy graduate put pen to paper on the deal, which runs until 2022, on Wednesday afternoon, as he further strengthened his commitment with the club."
"Obafemi has been another success story from Southampton's youth set-up, developing at a rapid pace under the guidance of the club's coaches since being recruited from Leyton Orient in 2016."
Michael Obafemi commented:
"It's a good day. I'm happy that it's done and now I'm looking to move forward."
"I'll always be thankful to the club for sticking by me, and I just want to show everyone what I've got."
"I'm determined to show the fans and everyone at the club why I've been given a three-and-a-half-year deal.”
Ralph Hasenhüttl commented:
"Young players like Michael represent a big part of the future of Southampton, so this is an important day for him and also for the club."
"Already, he has shown to me he can have a big impact in our games and, with the right guidance and also with the right approach from him, I think this influence will increase."
"This is a big day for Michael, but I think what is most important now is that he realises this is the start for him, and that he must use this as a base to make the next steps in his development."
"There is still a great amount of potential for Michael to fulfil and a lot for him to achieve, and this is the best place for him to do it, so he must focus on working as hard and professionally as possible to make sure he becomes the player I believe he can be.”
The comments from both player and manager suggest that the rumours that have circulated recently that the club has been concerned about his attitude and his absence has not entirely been injury related are not completely without substance.
From Ralph Hasenhuttl's comments it does seem that Obafemi has lost his way a little since his elevation to the first team and that he has not been as focused as he should have been.
Certainly Obafemi seems to hint at that in his comment when he thanks the club for sticking by him.
Hopefully now he is back on Hasenhuttl's bus and can now play a full part in the rest of the season, Ralph is right there is still a long way to go to fulfil his potential but if he shows the form he did in his games before Xmas then hopefully he can not only help his own career but propel Saints to safety.