Southampton full-back Nathaniel Clyne on verge of U-turn over Manchester United move

Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne has taken a giant step towards committing his future to the south coast club and rejecting a move to Manchester United by claiming he is happy to remain at St Mary's.

Ronald Koeman last week set the 24-year-old a 10-day deadline to agree to a new contract with the Saints, with the England international's current deal set to expire in the summer of 2016.

Reports over the weekend indicated however that United had agreed to sign Clyne for £25m ($38m) during the summer transfer window, in a blow to Southampton's hopes of keeping the player who they signed from Crystal Palace in July 2012.

However, the future of Clyne has now taken a new twist after the full-back admitted he is "happy" to stay at Southampton after an impressive campaign for the club in a huge blow to United's hopes of completing a deal.

"I'm enjoying my football for Southampton, playing week-in, week-out and it's an up-and-coming club, so, yeah, I'm happy playing for Southampton and happy to stay at Southampton as well," he told The Daily Echo.

While the declaration is the strongest indication yet that Clyne wants to stay at Southampton, it remains to be seen whether the player will follow that public stance by agreeing to remain on the south coast.

Clyne has entered the final week during which he must make a decision over his future after Koeman made clear the club are committing all available resources to keeping the player.

"We are still speaking with Clyney and his agent, but we have to know it in 10 days now," he said. "The club is doing and offering the maximum we can do, then we expect the decision of the player," the Southampton manager said.

"I have spoken to Clyney. He is very happy. Maybe there is some interest, I don't know because nobody has really had a bid for the player, but if I read the press then maybe there is some interest.

"But it's football, you never know. In football if you go in your last season of contract, we don't like that."

United manager Louis van Gaal is likely to keep his transfer plans close to his chest but Antonio Valencia's continued employed at right-back ahead of other defenders is an indication over the confidence in his other options.