Southampton: Saints had been tracking Elyounoussi since 2012
By Marc Walker
It has emerged that Southampton had been tracking Mohamed Elyounoussi since 2012 following his move to the Saints.
According to Norwegian outlet Nettavisen’s interview with Elyounoussi, he was shown clips during transfer negotiations of himself playing for his first club Sarpsborg 08 back in 2012 that Southampton had used to track his progress.
‘Moi’ also stated in the interview that this impressive coverage of his career to date had convinced him to sign for the Saints and that the club already had a clear plan of how they wanted to use him.
Speaking to Nettavisen from Saints’ training camp in China, he said:
"It was really a little surreal. I sat at the training ground of a Premier League club and saw video clips from a match against Hamarkameratene in the first division six years ago.It was clear that this was not a panic buy. They have been following me for years and have a clear plan for how they want to use me. It gives me the assurance that this was the right choice.It was really a little surreal. I sat at the training ground of a Premier League club and saw video clips from a match against Hamarkameratene in the first division six years ago.It was clear that this was not a panic buy. They have been following me for years and have a clear plan for how they want to use me. It gives me the assurance that this was the right choice."
Next: Southampton complete signing of Jannik Vestergaard
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Southampton’s scouting system has helped them hugely when it comes to identifying transfer targets. The transformation of the squad back in the summer of 2014 was followed by a 7th placed finish and many new signings became key men for Ronald Koeman’s squad.
A move to St Mary’s also gives players a highly competitive Premier League environment to prove themselves before they potentially move onto bigger things. High-quality additions provide Saints with competitive teams that have seen them push for European qualification.
Their networks at youth level also help to bring talent into the club. They are able to pick up players who don’t quite make the grade at other clubs and sign others just as they move into the crucial periods of their development as footballers.
Saints have picked up future talents such as Nathan Tella from Arsenal and highly rated French defender Allan Tchaptchet in recent times, whilst they also look likely to sign young winger Pedro Paulo Lubamba from Real Madrid.
Elyounoussi also spoke about his first week at Saints and how he has been impressed by Mark Hughes and the whole club already, saying:
"We had a good chat ahead of the transfer. I knew from his time at Stoke that he is a coach wants to play football. Besides, I liked how he wanted to use my in this system.All in all, I am extremely pleased with the first week and I look forward to many years at the club.We had a good chat ahead of the transfer. I knew from his time at Stoke that he is a coach wants to play football. Besides, I liked how he wanted to use my in this system.All in all, I am extremely pleased with the first week and I look forward to many years at the club."
It appears that Hughes will stick with similar systems to the 3-4-2-1 that served Saints so well at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, and this would hint at a role for Elyounoussi in the two behind a central striker.
His creativity will be needed by the team this year following the sale of Dusan Tadic to Ajax, and it appears that Saints have got their hands on another gem thanks to their superior recruitment.