According to reports, Southampton are making life difficult for Croatian Mislav Orsic to leave the club on a permanent deal.
How many goals has Mislav Orsic scored?
Orsic was signed by the Saints in January in a bid to save their season from resulting in relegation. The ex-Premier League side signed the Croatian international for £8million from Dinamo Zagreb.
The 30-year-old however failed to play, making only one Premier League appearance amounting to six minutes. Orsic did feature in the League Cup and FA Cup making four appearances across the two, but was an incredibly underwhelming signing.
This a far-cry from his 13 goals and eight assists in 27 appearances for Dinamo prior to the move, including two in the Champions League.
Orsic also featured heavily for Croatia at the World Cup, making six appearances with two assists in the process along with the winning goal in his nation's 2-1 win over Morocco in the third place play-off.
The only way to describe Orsic's time on the south coast is disappointing, a player who clearly has ability, but hasn't been given the time to show it or maybe the level is above him.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Third-Place Playoff – Croatia v Morocco – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar – December 17, 2022 Croatia'sMislavOrsiccelebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Therefore, it is no surprise that talk of a departure has been prominent. Despite this, reports from Sabah via Sport Witness have described Southampton's unwillingness to let the Croatian go.
The report mentions Turkish side Trabzonspor as the keenest party. However, the reluctance to agree a fee by Saints and owners Sport Republic means the suitors are beginning to look elsewhere.
It is explained by the outlet that the Süper Lig side 'want to add' Orsic however talks have 'not yet made any progress' in relation to a potential loan deal.
Orsic is described as a 'priority' for Trabzonspor, but the club are turning their attention to Guinean free agent François Kamano due to the English side playing hard ball and annoying the buyers.
What's the latest with Southampton's transfer news?
Southampton look likely to lose their prized asset. The latest report paints Arsenal as 'close to agreement' on a deal for midfielder Romeo Lavia. It has been said there are several top Premier League sides keen on Lavia, including Manchester United as reported by talkSPORT.
23-year-old winger Nathan Tella is another linked with departing Saint Mary's, with The Sun say the Saints will demand £15m for the winger who scored 17 Championship goals last season for Burnley. The Athletic have suggested a return to Turf Moor could be on the cards, with talks taking place between the two clubs, despite the asking price being a hurdle.
Sky Sports have also previously revealed that numerous Premier League sides and teams across Europe are targeting 21-year-old Armel Bella-Kotchap.
It appears a rebuild at Southampton will happen this summer, with quite a few talents set to depart as James Ward-Prowse also appears to be attracting Premier League interest.