Saints will almost certainly have to accept a cut-price deal if they want to get rid of Dani Osvaldo this summer, after Juventus failed to take up an option on the striker.

The Serie A champions took the 28-year-old on loan in January, with Saints farming him out after he allegedly headbutted his teammate, José Fonte, in training, writes GORDON SIMPSON.

That deal included a clause which allowed Juventus to buy Osvaldo for a fee of £15.6m, payable over three years.

However, the Italian club had to take up that option by the end of May and, after a rather non-descript few months with them, they have, unsurprisingly, opted not to do that.

Saints made Osvaldo their record signing last summer in a £12.9m deal that had the potential to rise to £14.6m.

But it proved to be a disastrous bit of business, with the forward scoring just three times before being suspended by the club and loaned out.

Osvaldo would score just three times in the second half of the season for Juventus as well, with his poor form meaning he missed out on a place in Italy’s World Cup squad.

Saints must now decide whether to try to reintegrate him, which seems an unlikely scenario, although it may depend on who is appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor.

The indications are that Osvaldo is not keen to return anyway, meaning the club will probably either look to sell, or loan him out again.

Italian club Torino have also been linked with a move for one of Saints’ former record signings, Uruguayan playmaker Gastón Ramírez, who joined for £12m in 2012, but who has had a limited impact at St Mary’s.