BOSS Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed how Saints had been tracking the progress of left-back Romain Perraud “for a long time” and added: “He fits our profile for this position very well.”

The St Mary’s side had been on the hunt for a full-back, with Ryan Bertrand exiting the club following the expiration of his contract this summer.

But in the signing of Perraud from Stade Brest, for a fee which could reportedly rise to £12million, the Austrian boss admits he is delighted to get his man.

He told the club website: “This is an important first signing for us.

“Clearly, left-back is an area in which we were looking to strengthen and we have tracked Romain for a long time because he fits our profile for this position very well.

“He is a high energy, robust guy with good aggression who will bring lots of energy to our play. He has good quality with his delivery from wide and is very competitive with his defending.”

Perraud passed his medical and completed the move with Saints set to return for pre-season training on Monday.

And Hasenhuttl is eager to see his new recruit hit the ground running.

He added: “Completing the transfer before the start of pre-season allows him to start training with us immediately, learning our way of playing and tactical behaviours.

“I think Romain will fit in well with us and we can help him develop his game further and maximise his potential.”