NATHAN Dyer is expected to end his long running contract dispute with Saints this week and sign a new deal.
The 20-year-old winger has been banished from the first team by Jan Poortvliet after refusing to sign a new contract when his current deal expired at the end of last month.
It has left Dyer in the wilderness and on a week to week contract while at the same time he deals with the legal proceedings he is currently going through with respect to charges of burglary.
If Dyer opted to leave for another club Saints would be entitled to a compensation fee but Poortvliet has made it quite clear he would like Dyer to stay and after a period of reflection negotiations have restarted.
As a reward Dyer was given his first pre-season outing in the 3-3 draw with Eastleigh on Saturday and scored Saints' opening goal.
Now Saints will wait to hear whether he is prepared to commit himself to the club again by signing a new deal.
Saints' academy director Mark Wotte said: "They are talking and Nathan said to me he is keen on staying at Southampton."
"I spoke to Rupert Lowe about it because he is training very well in individual training or in small groups or with the under-18s but once they had almost reached an agreement it was kind of a reward to let him play and maybe get him ready for August 9.
"He's a very talented player and I think it's a boost for him to be back on the field and play a match."
For full story, see today's Daily Echo.
