JOSE Fonte believes Saints are embarking on a huge summer in their history, with the club needing to decide if they want to commit to climbing higher in the table.

Saints have just finished their finest ever Premier League campaign, reaching 60 points and ending the season in seventh place - a position sometimes labelled "the best of the rest" and one that may well be good enough for a European spot.

It has been a fantastic campaign, but it has also set a high bar, and, in order to continue the upward trajectory the club have been on ever since Markus Liebherr's 2009 takeover, they will need to break into the top six next term.

Saints captain Fonte does not want the progression to stop, nor does he believe it has to, but he admitted it will take a significant commitment for it to go on.

Encouragingly for the skipper and supporters, there have already been signs of this, with the club having tied Jay Rodriguez to a substantial new contract, while at the same time offering major new deals to Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne, and also being willing to make a significant outlay for Toby Alderweireld if they get the opportunity.

Asked how big a summer this is, Fonte said: “Massive. It’s that time in the club’s history, either you go for it or you settle where you are, and it’s a big decision.

"If we really want to go for it, we have to have the investment, obviously try and keep the best players – like we have been trying – and hopefully we can do that, we can have the next step and go for it next year even more than this year."

Saints have celebrated a record Premier League season in 2014/15

Fonte believes there is a real foundation in place for the club to build on in that sense.

“There is," he agreed. "There is stability, we have a great chairman, a great owner, we have everything in place – we have a great training ground, we have a great manager and now it’s all about getting the right players in and, like I said, work hard during the pre-season and during the season to achieve what we want to achieve, so let’s focus on that."

Having finished in a higher position each season since 2009/10 - the campaign during which Fonte joined Saints - the Portugal international is desperate for that trend not to stop.

“It cannot be different. The standard gets higher and higher, so we really need to keep going," he said.

"That’s the only way forward, is keep stepping up and keep being better and better, so we will try and do that."

Reflecting on Saints' finishing position this season, Fonte believes the club and the players must be happy.

“It has to be a positive season, obviously," he said.

"Regarding everything that went on and all the changes, it’s definitely a positive season.

"Having said that, it doesn’t mean that we cannot do better, because we can, and we will do it next year – we have to, you know.

"Like I said before, this is another step, so next year we want to finish above seventh, that’s for sure."