SAINTS have signed Moussa Djenepo on a four-year deal from Standard Liege.

The 20-year-old becomes manager Ralph Hasenhuttl's first signing since arriving at the club back in December.

He will become a Saints player on Monday, 1 July, subject to the relevant paperwork being completed.

It was announced in the Daily Echo last week that Saints had agreed a deal with the Belgian side and that it was a case of him passing a medical and obtaining a work permit.

Speaking to the official Southampton FC website, Djenepo said: “It is something I am very proud of. It’s a dream come true. Southampton is a great club and I am very happy.

“It’s a good club that is progressing, it has great facilities, and it’s a place that can help me to really kick on and progress.

“I am looking forward to it and I want to get to know my new family. I can’t wait to be around my new teammates and work hard alongside them.”

Djenepo caught Saints' attention after a breakout campaign for Standard Liege in Belgium.

The pacy attacker bagged 11 goals in 38 appearances to help them finish third in the First Division A.

His move to the Premier League completes a meteoric rise, having joined Liege for €50,000 back in 2017 from Yeelen Olimpique in Mali.

Djenepo will join up with Saints for pre-season following the Africa Cup of Nations tournament this summer.

Saints' newest addition has eight caps for Mali and scored his maiden international goal in March against South Sudan.

Saints chief Hasenhuttl told the club's official website: "We are very happy to welcome Moussa as the first new player to join our team ahead of the upcoming season.

“He is an exciting player, with tremendous pace and good finishing abilities, who we have watched closely for some time.

“We have been impressed with how he has adapted to football in Europe and the impact he has had in many games, and we had an interest in him as recently as January, so I am pleased we are able to bring him into the club.

“He combines his quality with a good mentality and he is the right profile of player that we want to sign – still in the early part of his career, already with a lot of talent, but also with a great amount of potential that I believe we can help him to fulfil.

“I think he will be an excellent fit for our style of play and shape, and these are the important characteristics we must look for.

“It is about getting this right sort of quality, not quantity – we must maximise the use of this window by spending our money in the right way and on the right type of player, and this is a very strong start.”