#INSERT type:image caption:Eljero Elia has impressed since arriving at Southampton. END#
Southampton want to make Eljero Elia's loan spell from Werder Bremen into a permanent deal, the German club's sporting director has claimed.
The winger, who has a €5.5 million release clause in his contract, has been with the Saints for the last six months and scored twice in 16 Premier League appearances.
German football magazine kicker reported that Southampton were not willing to pay that amount but remained interested in the possibility of striking a deal.
It quoted Werder's Rouven Schroder as saying the two clubs were in discussions, adding: "Southampton are still interested. We are talking about the conditions at the moment."
Meanwhile, Bremen are keen to persuade striker Franco Di Santo to sign a new contract, with Schroder explaining: "We will try to convince him to continue his progress here."
Di Santo joined from Wigan in 2013 and scored 13 goals in 26 Bundesliga matches last season.
His agent, Gustavo Goni, told German paper Bild that "clubs from the Bundesliga, England, Italy, Spain and Holland want Franco" but that he felt "comfortable at Bremen."