Southampton completes club-record signing of Boufal for reported £21M

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Southampton has snapped up exciting attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal for an undisclosed fee that surpasses the previous club-record £15-million paid for Dani Osvaldo in 2013.

The Moroccan international penned a five-year contract on the south coast after leaving Lille. It was earlier reported that an agreement was reached for an initial £17 million (€20 million) to acquire Boufal, with that expense swelling to £21 million (€25 million) courtesy of various performance-related add-ons.

"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," said Boufal.

"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."

Boufal was also apparently being tracked by Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Watford, but instead moves to the Saints where it's hoped his devastating pace and propensity to belt efforts on goal will help overcome a dreary beginning to the campaign of two draws and one defeat.

The 22-year-old caught the attention of many European outfits as he made 27 starts over the 2015-16 Ligue 1 campaign, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists - showing his knack of exploiting the channels and tying up of full-backs as he cuts inside from the flank.

But Boufal is also adept up front, filling a dearth felt on the south coast since Graziano Pelle left for the riches of China and Sadio Mane departed for Liverpool.

"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," explained club executive director of football Les Reed.

"Sofiane is a player we have watched develop closely over the last few years, and we're thrilled to have him join the club ahead of what promises to be a very exciting season, with Europa League football on the horizon."

Southampton fans will have to wait until after the international break to see Boufal in red-and-white stripes, with Claude Puel's squad travelling to Arsenal on Sept. 10.