Southampton: Saints to beat Leicester to signing of winger?
By Marc Walker
Southampton are reportedly looking to beat Premier League rivals Leicester City to the signing of Basel winger Mohamed Elyounoussi.
According to the Daily Star, Mark Hughes wants to add the 23-year-old to his Southampton attack to provide more creativity ahead of the 2018/19 season.
The report also states some possible details of the deal that is on the table for Elyounoussi, with a four-year deal and £8m in bonuses said to be offered.
He was in scintillating form for Basel during the last campaign and contributed to 30 goals across all competitions with 13 goals and 17 assists.
Elyounoussi is another player to have been linked with a move to St Mary’s before now too and was mentioned as a target for the club last summer.
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The Norwegian international has 16 caps to his name and joined Basel from Molde in 2016. He was at Sarpsborg 08 before that after coming through their youth set-up.
In his senior career so far, he has made 246 appearances for all three of his clubs, scored 83 goals and assisted 49 times for teammates. His potential in a bigger league is clear to see with such consistent numbers.
Competition from his signature is likely to come from Leicester and former Saints boss Claude Puel as they look to sign a player with similar qualities to Riyad Mahrez, with the Algerian likely to move on from the King Power Stadium this summer.
The Foxes were also competitors with Saints for James Maddison, and the England prospect chose to join the Midlands club in a £24m deal.
It is clear to see with all of the rumours that Saints are targeting defensive and attacking signings before the new season starts, with midfield areas containing their strongest competition for places.
A deal for Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong is said to be almost complete and Mark Hughes will hope that he can provide goals and driving runs from central areas after impressing in Scotland.