Southampton chairman Nicola Cortese is likely to leave the club, Sky Sports News reports.

The former Swiss banker is reportedly yet to make a final decision on his future, but it is believed that he will decide to depart the Premier League outfit. However, Cortese has not held discussions with any other clubs.

He bought the Saints in 2009 on behalf of Markus Liebherr, who died in 2010. Since then, Cortese has overseen a sustained period of success, with promotion from League One to the Championship, and then the top flight.

Cortese came close to leaving last year, but opted to stay.