The Saints and Morocco midfielder was shipped out from St Mary’s Stadium on loan by Mark Hughes last season.
A number of Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to comment on the club announcing the 23-man squad travelling to the Netherlands for their penultimate pre-season friendly of 2019-20 (official website).
The Saints have begun making their way to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord at De Kuip on Sunday afternoon, which kicks off at 1:30pm BST, following a training camp in Dublin, with a few having joined in midweek following their friendly in Macau.
One inclusion in the 23-man travelling pack which prompted a fair bit of reaction is Sofiane Boufal, who spent last season with Spanish side Celta Vigo after being shipped out on loan by former manager Mark Hughes.
The 25-year-old attacking midfielder, who was given an extended break due to playing for Morocco in this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations, has been linked with a departure from St Mary’s Stadium this summer.
The Daily Echo claimed that reports from France suggesting that Nice had agreed on an £8.5million fee with Southampton for Boufal were wide of the mark, while El Desmarque linked the player with Marseille.
Here is what some of the Saints faithful on social media made of Boufal’s inclusion in the travelling contingent for the Feyenoord friendly:
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