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Mohamed Elyounoussi signs for Southampton from Basel for reported £16m

Last updated on .From the section Southamptoncomments34

Mohamed Elyounoussi
Elyounoussi scored in Basel's 2-1 second-leg win over Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 last season. The Swiss side lost the tie 5-2 on aggregate.

Southampton have signed attacking midfielder Mohamed Elyounoussi for a reported £16m from Basel.

The 23-year-old Norway international, who scored 23 goals in 83 games in his last two seasons for the Swiss side, has agreed a five-year deal.

"I'm at my best when I use my creativity, so I think the club's philosophy will suit me," he said.

His arrival follows Dusan Tadic's £10m departure from the Saints to Ajax.

Elyounoussi is Southampton's second signing of the summer after the £7m purchase of Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong.

Manager Mark Hughes is hopeful that his new additions will improve the goalscoring record of a team that averaged less than one a game in the Premier League last season.

"He has got an outstanding record of goals and assists in two different countries, and we have been extremely impressed by the intelligence he has shown in his play from a tactical point of view," said the Welshman.

"Following on from the arrival of Stuart Armstrong this week, we feel we have made real progress in adding a new dimension to our attack."

Elyounoussi - who was born in Morocco - scored 41 goals in 91 goals for Norwegian side Molde before moving to Basel in July 2016.

He had also been linked with Arsenal, Leicester and Huddersfield.

Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

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34 comments

  • Comment posted by footiefan81, at 13:51 29 Jun 2018

    Good bit of business by Saints, yet again. Get a 29 year old out before his value drops significantly, add £16m and bring in a promising 23 year old with his peak years to come. Either he serves Saints for 10 years, or he is a real success and they sell him on for £60m like Van Dijk. Very impressively run club.

  • Comment posted by nikthefish, at 17:52 29 Jun 2018

    Signing Celtic players never works.

    That Van someone ,and the chap who we flogged to some London club who are getting a new ground this year, forget their name, only made the club about £100,000,000

    Waste of time really.

    Shouldn't have lost Tadic, but as we know the grass is greener , contracts mean nothing, and another agent has probably made £500,000 from the deal

  • Comment posted by StaffsSaint, at 13:36 29 Jun 2018

    Re 7
    Grow up and go support your own team.
    Sparky re-energised the squad last season and I think there will be severalore decent signings COYS

  • Comment posted by Reality Check, at 13:26 29 Jun 2018

    Big fish eat smaller fish! So if he develops in line with his potential, a "bigger club" will come calling! But Saints fans will/should support and enjoy him for 2/3 seasons! Hopefully not a la Boufal!

  • Comment posted by No1WestStandBar, at 14:27 29 Jun 2018

    Two attacking midfielders so far - exactly what we've been lacking recently

  • Comment posted by CDawg, at 16:00 29 Jun 2018

    AHahhaha!!!! Liverpool jokes!!! ME SO FUNNY

  • Comment posted by Grubby56, at 15:29 29 Jun 2018

    22.

    You seem to have forgotten that Tadic was a 'nobody' before Southampton bought him. As was Van Dyke, Mane, Lovren, Clyne etc. This guy might well turn out to be a good buy as well - only time will tell.

  • Comment posted by Free Hampshire, at 13:22 29 Jun 2018

    So we're having a bit of movement in the window.
    Let's hope it makes for interesting football.
    No long ball tactics, please.

  • Comment posted by NickW53, at 14:41 29 Jun 2018

    Weird to see us doing our business this early in the window... A lot of us Saints fans have been checking our calendars in disbelief. We haven't even had time to sell 9 of our best players and have our annual summer meltdown!

  • Comment posted by U16688859, at 13:06 29 Jun 2018

    Good signing for Saints but letting Tadic go for a reported £10million big mistake. Should have been £20million Plus at least.

  • Comment posted by NAllen, at 16:40 29 Jun 2018

    LMAO...Just seen a report which says Southampton signs Liverpool Target for $16m. That's a great sign that if he does well this season Southampton can make $44 million profit next year. I mocked Southampton for being Liverpool's feeder club but hey they are making good money out of them so I guess its me that's wrong.

  • Comment posted by U16966782, at 16:15 29 Jun 2018

    Why did people dislike my other comment (2.) It was only me trying to be a bit funny. So many miserable people in the world today. Come on, be a bit more positive people.

  • Comment posted by Fernando Partridge, at 15:58 29 Jun 2018

    Hope you don't have to pay by the letter to get his name on your shirt

  • Comment posted by Pamplemousse, at 14:43 29 Jun 2018

    Worth more than the entirety of Portsmouth Football Club! LOL!

  • Comment posted by disgustedofwells, at 10:37 30 Jun 2018

    If he does end up at Liverpool it'll be proof, if any were needed, that players/agents see Southampton as a Scouse shop window

  • Comment posted by Fletch, at 08:56 30 Jun 2018

    @29 Yeah they had some winger guy that will never cut it, Dalah.

  • Comment posted by NAllen, at 16:22 29 Jun 2018

    Liverpool must be excited...Next year they will have a new striker when Salah leaves for Barcelona or Madrid . Must be nice to have a feeder team in the same league

  • Comment posted by Caulky, at 16:43 29 Jun 2018

    Not another standard foreign £15-£20 million goal scoring machine that Saints and most the other 14 clubs outside the big 6 have been signing for the last few seasons since all the money came along only for them to not even feature on the bench after a few months of a goal drought.
    Even Saints don't really give our British youth players a break though anymore.

  • Comment posted by Ryan Sheppard, at 12:47 29 Jun 2018

    Personally in my opinion a great signing by the Saints... but if he performs well, then he will probably move to Liverpool at a later date....

  • Comment posted by Bunner, at 15:04 29 Jun 2018

    No 12

    It seems you are easily pleased and lack ambition. Like a lot on here. He only won the games he should have won, and was unimpressive in the others.

    I do support my team which why I want Saints to have a good manager. Blind faith and wishful thinking is no substitute for ability.

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