Jack Cork looks set to end his three-and-a-half-year spell at Saints and hand Ronald Koeman a late transfer window headache.

The 25-year-old midfielder is ready to reject Saints’ offer of a new contract, despite the club have tabled what the Daily Echo understands to be a long term deal that would have put him among the squad’s top earners.

Swansea, this Sunday’s opponents at St Mary’s, are attempting to take advantage of the situation by stealing in to try and sign Cork before the January transfer window closes on Monday.

Saints are understood have received an offer of around £3m from the Welsh side, which represents good value for a player who could walk away for nothing in the summer, and a deal should be struck, though obviously Saints will not want him to face them this weekend.

Despite the fact that Cork has been a bit part player under Koeman this season - and could not be guaranteed first team football if he stayed - with an ankle injury and the form of Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama hampering his chances, should he complete a move away from the club it leaves the Saints boss with a dilemma.

Ideally Saints would not have done any further business in this window.

As reported elsewhere in today’s Daily Echo, the club have explored the possibility of signing Benfica’s attacking midfielder Filip Djuricic.

But with that deal having looked unlikely, they may have opted to stick with what they had before the Cork situation reached this point, which could force them back into the market.

Though Schneiderlin and Wanyama will resume as the first choice defensive midfield pairing when they return from injury after the game against Swansea, Cork was third pick.

Saints do have Harrison Reed, but Koeman does not want to ask too much too soon of the youngster, while otherwise it means playing Steven Davis or James Ward-Prowse in deeper roles than desired.

Likewise, Toby Alderweireld is also very capable in the same position, but Koeman will want him back at the heart of his defence when he returns from injury.

Saints could justifiably argue that they have enough options when players return to fitness after this weekend’s game that they don’t need to rush a deal now and could wait until the summer to strengthen, when the future of Schneiderlin will also again surely be in the melting pot.

But it may be that Koeman will not want to risk such a situation.

If that is the case he is likely to move quickly either for a permanent deal or to get somebody on loan with an option of a permanent transfer in the summer.

Koeman has stated, and demonstrated, his desire to sign players in that way already, the latest being Eljero Elia. He has commented that he prefers not to have just temporary deals that fizzle out.

If Cork goes Koeman will inevitably again be linked with a move for Jordy Clasie, the highly rated Feyenoord midfielder.

He would though cost a hefty fee, especially this near to the close of the January transfer window when prices are vastly inflated anyway.