Southampton captain Youssef Safri is on the verge of a move to Qatar.

Saints have agreed a fee of around £300,000 for the 31-year old Morocco midfielder, who is poised to sign a three-year deal with Qatar Sports Club.

"Youssef did very well for us and we would like to have kept him," plc chairman Rupert Lowe told the club`s official website.

"However, he requested to be allowed to play in the Gulf and we did not want to stand in his way."

Safri made 39 appearances for Southampton after joining from Championship rivals Norwich for £250,000 just under a year ago.

Fellow Moroccan international Talal El Karkouri, the former Charlton defender, currently plays for Qatar along with ex-Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba.