Having been able to witness his talents at first hand during his previous Ligue 1 spell, new Saints manager Claude Puel has unveiled Lille’s Sofiane Boufal as the clubs newest player, and replacement for the outgoing Sadio Mané.
The club have broken their transfer fee record and shelled out £16million for their new star acquisition, with the silky left winger signing a five year deal.
The 22-year-old Morocco international had this to say on his big move.
Boufal said: “I’m very, very happy to sign for Southampton and I am really excited to play in St Mary’s stadium in front of the fans. Southampton showed big interest in signing me, and I can see that this club is the best place for me to continue my progression as a footballer. I hope I can achieve many great things with Southampton. It is a very good club, with excellent facilities, and I feel it is the perfect environment to continue my development.”
Boufal scored 12 goals during his first season at Lille, helping the side to a fifth Ligue 1 final position and Coupe de la Ligue runners up medal.