SAINTS boss Ralph Hasenhuttl believes it will be “perfect” when new arrival Ibrahima Diallo begins work with his team.

The 21-year-old, signed from French outfit Brest before deadline day, is currently on France under-21 international duty and could feature in a Euro qualifier against Slovakia tomorrow.

Austrian boss Hasenhuttl last week expressed his delight in getting the £12million move over the line to land the former Monaco youngster.

And he believes Diallo has all the qualities to slot into Saints’ squad and hit the ground running.

Asked what the midfielder could add to his side, Hasenhuttl said: “Hopefully all the attributes we need from our sixes.

“I think they are well known. They definitely need to cover some distance and be aggressive against the ball, winning duels, winning the balls, making the right decisions in possession, knowing when to keep the ball and also having some acceleration.

“I think from what I have seen so far shows us a lot of these qualities. In the end, it will be perfect when he comes to us.”

Diallo is expected to be ready to play as part of Saints’ squad when returning from international duty later this week.

That means he could be involved when the St Mary’s side head to Chelsea on their return to Premier League action on Saturday.

Asked about his initial conversations with the Tours-born midfielder, Hasenhuttl said: “Like always, you can be sure that I speak with the player, with everybody.

“I must say that it was a very smart dialogue, to be honest. He asked a lot of questions and that is normal for players.

“His party are a group which knows really what they want as a next step for him.”

Diallo graduated from Monaco’s academy before going on to make his name with Brest, a club he signed for permanently in 2019 following a fruitful loan spell.

In his first season with Brest, Diallo made 28 appearances as he helped the side to promotion from Ligue 2, with another 27 games following since their return to the French top flight.

Diallo received his first cap for France under-21s last month, starting in a 2-1 win away to Azerbaijan in a Euro qualifier.

Speaking ahead of joining up with his new Saints team-mates at Staplewood this week, Diallo told the club website: “I have a good reputation in France especially, as that is where I turned pro and have been able to play a lot of games, but it’s a new challenge for me to come to a new country, a new league and it’s also a new life for me with the change in culture.

“I think the Premier League is the biggest league in the world and therefore it’s a chance for me to reach new milestones and reach the highest level.

“I am very happy and I am very excited. It’s a new adventure for me, a new challenge and I can’t wait to get started with the team.”

He added: “I spoke with the manager at length. We spoke a little bit about everything. He explained to me exactly how he wants to play, his way of working, what he expects of me and how he is going to use me.

“He was very clear with me and I liked the way he spoke and explained things, which gave me great insight into his methods, which was good.

“Of course, we have objectives as a team – they come before anything else. We want to have the best season possible and finish as high in the table as we can.

“On a personal level, I want to gradually cement myself as a starter with Southampton too.”