Saints named Mauricio Pellegrino as their new boss over the weekend, but it’s understood the appointment has not stalled negotiations.

The Baggies remain in talks with the south coast club over a fee for the 27-year-old striker, and expect to conclude them early next week.

It’s believed Rodriguez is still keen to leave Southampton and join up with Tony Pulis, who has chased him for the past 12 months.

Sources on the south coast and in the Midlands are optimistic that a deal will be agreed, with a total fee believed to be somewhere in the region of £12m.

Rodriguez is back from his holiday at the end of this week, so will be unable to have a medical or sign personal terms until then.

If he joins, he will become Albion’s first signing of the summer. He may arrive in time to join the squad for Pulis’s gruelling training camp in Austria that kick-starts each pre-season.

The Baggies now fly out to Austria on Tuesday, July 4, a day earlier than previously planned, and will stay there until they finish their opening fixture of pre-season against Slavia Prague in Kumberg on Wednesday, July 13.

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Pulis is keen to add another striker to his squad this summer, and has made Troy Deeney his top target up front.

He’s also keen to sign a centre-back, with both Middlesbrough's Ben Gibson and former Chelsea stalwart John Terry on the radar, although a younger model is preferred.

He holds a long-standing interest in Hull City’s Andrew Robertson, who has reportedly been put on sale by new Tigers boss Leonid Slutsky, but signing a left-back is not a priority at the moment.

The Baggies only have 14 senior outfield players left on the books after losing captain Darren Fletcher to Midlands rivals Stoke.

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Although Pulis is keen to off-load Callum McManaman, he does not wish to lose any more players this summer.

Leicester have already bid for centre-back Jonny Evans, but the club have not received any offers from Everton for Evans or Salomon Rondon, as suggested elsewhere.

Tonight, chief executive Martin Goodman is attending the first meeting of Albion’s new Punjabi supporters' group Apna Albion.

An LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) supporters’ group is being officially launched in September.