Southampton swept aside Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup last night.
But it was hard to escape the bitter-sweet feeling that accompanied a comfortable 2-0 win, which puts Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side within 90 minutes of a Wembley semi-final.
After all the opening goal, just minutes into the second half, was sparked by a combination of two men who may not even be Saints players this time next year.
Danny Ings opened the scoring, displaying the sort of predatory instincts that have attracted the attention of Tottenham Hotspur (talkSPORT).
However, Ings isn’t the only Saints star being circled by sharks as a new contract remains unsigned.
Ryan Bertrand is due to become a free agent in July and, according to Goal, the long-serving left-back is keen to test himself amid the ‘Big Six’, a decade after tasting Champions League glory with Chelsea.
Of course Saints fans will rightly argue whether Arsenal represent a substantial step up the footballing ladder.
The Gunners, who have expressed a keen interest in Bertrand (Standard), will fall below Southampton in the Premier League table if the South Coast club win their game in hand.
And, as Southampton cruised to a win in the Black Country, Bertrand offered a timely reminder of what he brings to the table.
The 31-year-old was arguably the best player on the pitch at Molineux, setting up Ings’ goal with a perfectly weighted through ball while defending impressively against super-sub Adama Traore at the other end.
Southampton have a fine track record when it comes to replacing star players but, on last night’s evidence, finding successors for Ings and Bertrand would be easier said than done.
Here’s how some Southampton fans responded on Twitter to Bertrand’s performance:
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