Southampton have reached a deal to sign the Holland winger Eljero Elia from Werder Bremen.

The Saints have been left short of attacking options with Jay Rodriguez’s recovery from a cruciate ligament injury taking longer than expected and Sadio Mané due to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

The 27-year-old will initially join the club on loan next month in a deal until the end of the season, with the option of then making the switch from the Bundesliga permanent.

Known for his blistering pace and direct forward runs, Elia established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Europe at FC Twente and was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year in 2009.

Koeman said: “He was a Dutch international, he had not such a good period in Germany but I believe in the qualities of the player. He is a wing player and we normally play with both a right-winger and a left-winger. We also like, in our style of playing, fast people who can play one against one with quality.”