Southampton’s Sofiane Boufal has been linked with a move away from the club.
According to a report by L’Equipe, French side Bordeaux are looking at signing Southampton’s Sofiane Boufal and the south coast club should be looking to cash in on the underperforming star.
Boufal arrived at St. Mary’s Stadium as a player boasting plenty of potential, but despite a relatively bright start, he has since disappointed at the club and found himself out of the first-team picture last term.
The Morocco international made just 11 starts last term, scoring two goals and grabbing a further two assists, and his lack of first-team football saw him miss out on a spot in Morocco’s World Cup squad.
Boufal still has time on his side to improve, but so far he has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and his hefty weekly salary surely can’t be a healthy situation for the club.
According to Spotrac, the 24-year-old is one of the club’s highest paid players despite not being a first-team regular, earning a whopping £65,000 per week – more than the likes of Dusan Tadic and Nathan Redmond.
Saints shouldn’t be paying such a lofty figure for a player who isn’t deemed a regular, and his chances of first-team football could be limited further if the club seals a deal for Norwich City’s James Maddison.
A recent report in Sky Sports claims the Saints have seen a £20 million bid accepted for the attacking midfielder, and surely the Hampshire club aren’t seeking to spend such a figure on a mere squad player.
Bordeaux’s reported interest in Boufal could be a blessing for Southampton and gives them a reason to look at moving the player in order to create extra space on the wage bill for fellow new signings.
Moreover, the player himself can’t be happy with his current situation after missing out on a World Cup place, and he may feel a return to France could give him the ideal platform to reignite his career.
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