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Southampton have made their third major summer signing, bringing in striker Sofiane Boufal for £16 million – a club record.
Boufal joins Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nathan Redmond as a newcomer to the St. Mary’s Stadium, the other two joining from Bayern Munich and Norwich City respectively for a considerable amount.
After selling Sadio Mane to Liverpool, Southampton were looking to bring in a striker who possessed the same attributes which they felt that the 22-year-old Boufal has, so the Saints are delighted with their most recent acquisition.
Southampton’s Executive Director of Football Les Reed said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Sofiane to Southampton Football Club.
“He has shown his undoubted qualities in France over the past few seasons, and we are extremely confident he will successfully adapt to life in the Premier League.
“Sofiane is a player we have watched develop closely over the last few years, and we’re thrilled to have him join the club.”
Sofiane Boufal had an excellent campaign with French club Lille last season. He scored 11 goals and 5 assists to help them finish fifth and qualify for the Europa League.
The striker could feature for Southampton for the first time against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium right after the international break. However, he is still returning from a knee injury he picked up in May.
“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”, Boufal told the official Southampton website.
“Southampton showed big interest in signing me. I could 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.”
The striker began his professional career at Angers in 2012, where he made 46 appearances scoring four goals. He also helped them gain promotion from Ligue 2, in the process establishing himself as one of the country’s brightest prospects.
In 2015, he moved to Lille for £2.5 million where he made 43 appearances for Lille in one and a half seasons, helping them finish fifth in Ligue 1. They also featured in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue.
Southampton have so far drawn both home games against Sunderland and Watford and lost 2-0 to Manchester United. Therefore, with their new additions, they will hope to get a win sooner rather than later.
