Southampton keen to keep Alderweireld

Southampton are keen on agreeing a permanent deal for Belgium international defender Toby Alderweireld, according to TalkSport.

The 25 year old, who starred for Belgium at this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil, moved to St Mary’s on loan from Atletico Madrid during the summer, and Saints boss Ronald Koeman wants to extend his stay.

Since arriving on the South Coast, the former Ajax man has played four times, the last of those appearances coming in Saturday’s 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland – a result which kept the Saints in third place on sixteen pints, six behind league leaders Chelsea.

With just five goals conceded, they have by far the best defensive record in the division and they have kept clean sheets in four of their eight games so far.

They host Stoke City on Saturday afternoon, and can be backed at a price of 8/5 to win the match without conceding.