Dusan Tadic is likely to leave Saints for Ajax this summer but negotiations over a potential deal are still ongoing.

Dutch media have reported that the 29-year-old midfielder, who is currently representing Serbia in the World Cup, will complete a move to Ajax in the next 24 hours.

However, the Daily Echo understands that talks between the clubs over a possible deal are still some way from conclusion.

The chances are that the move will still progress as it is believed to be a switch that Tadic wants.

The Daily Echo understands that the attacking talent, who was the club’s joint top goalscorer last season, is keen to return to Dutch football, which he knows well from Groningen and Twente.

Tadic will turn 30 later this year and is believed to feel that after four good years in England the time is right to return to Holland, with Saints prepared to accept his desire to go.

A fee of around £15m has been mooted but Saints will push hard to get as much as they can for Tadic, who has two years left on his current contract.

Tadic has been a key man for Saints since joining the club from Twente for £10.9m in 2014.

He was a major signing for Ronald Koeman and his attacking partnership with Graziano Pelle will be remembered as the highlight of his time with the club.

After two good seasons under Koeman things have been a little tougher for Tadic, who has often found himself playing in a tighter structure and with less attacking freedom, at least until Mark Hughes arrived and sparked the best from him again at the tail end of the last campaign.

Tadic has amassed an impressive 162 appearances in his four years for Saints, which goes to underline how important he has been for the club, scoring 23 goals, including seven in the last campaign.

He was top of the club’s Premier League assists chart too for his first three seasons at St Mary’s.

Tadic’s likely departure will leave a significant void that will need to be filled, but his sale will also free up another spot on the wage bill and generate more money to spend, with the club committed to reinvesting cash generated by sales back into the first team squad.

Tadic is currently preparing for Serbia’s second World Cup Group E game in Russia.

After an opening round 1-0 victory over Costa Rica, they take on Switzerland in Kaliningrad tomorrow night knowing another win could take them through to the knockout stages without having to worry about the result of their final group match against Brazil.

However, the fact that Switzerland held the Brazilians to a 1-1 draw when the teams met last week shows they will be no pushover.