Southampton’s injured Danish right-back Elias Jelert has been given a firm and unmistakable message about his future at St Mary’s by the club’s technical director, Johannes Spors.
Long-term planning at Southampton is rarely straightforward, and this week was no different. Spors was forced to step in and publicly shut down fresh speculation surrounding Jelert, delivering a blunt response to rumours that had gathered momentum abroad. The German was quick to dismiss the claims, stressing that any suggestion a final decision has already been made is simply untrue. He went further still, highlighting how nonsensical it would be to reach such a conclusion at this point in the season.
With Saints having until May to decide whether to activate Jelert’s £7 million purchase option, Spors made it clear that making a call in November would be reckless, regardless of the eventual outcome.
The speculation originated in Turkey, where reports suggested Southampton had already opted against signing Jelert permanently from Galatasaray. Concerned by the noise, Spors revealed he personally reassured the player, pulling him aside to ensure the rumours did not affect his mindset.
“I spoke to him in the canteen,” Spors told the Daily Echo. “I said: ‘Elias, when you read that, it’s b*******. Just don’t listen to it.’ I thought maybe he reads and believes that.”
Jelert’s absence has come at an unfortunate time. The Dane has not featured since suffering an injury against Swansea, an issue that disrupted former boss Will Still’s plans to implement his preferred 4-2-3-1 system. Some within the club believe a fully fit Jelert could have played a key role, potentially offering better balance than alternatives used in recent matches. His injury has also complicated matters for current head coach Tonda Eckert.
Spors remains convinced of the defender’s quality.
“He is a very good player,” he added. “He got injured at a bad moment because he played his best game for us and then got injured in that game.”
The immediate focus is now on Jelert’s recovery. He has returned to first-team training and could be in contention for the Boxing Day trip to Oxford, with Southampton carefully managing his workload during a demanding festive schedule.
For Spors, the message is straightforward: protect the player, ignore the outside noise, and make decisions at the appropriate time — not when rumours dictate the agenda. With a busy run of fixtures ahead, Jelert’s return could feel like a new signing. His long-term future, however, will be addressed when the moment is right.
Southampton host Coventry City at St Mary’s on Saturday in another early kick-off.
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