Sofiane Boufal has revealed that he turned down “two or three times” more than what he currently earns to remain at Southampton in the summer transfer window.
The winger’s future was uncertain following his return from Celta Vigo, with Ralph Hasenhuttl yet to see him in action first-hand.
However, Boufal worked hard and pushed his way into the manager’s plans, rejecting what appear to have been lucrative offers from across the continent in the process.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the 25-year-old lifted the lid on the nature of the proposals that he rebuffed in order to stay put at St Mary’s. He said:
Since the first day I came back here, I knew I would stay. I spoke with the club and I had good offers in the summer – maybe two or three times what I earn here in salary – but I didn’t want to go.
They were very good offers in Europe, but I was focused on staying here. I wanted to stay in Southampton, work hard and be part of the team.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Boufal has regularly spoken about how he approached his situation at Southampton in the summer, and he deserves credit for knuckling down.
He and Cedric Soares could have both comfortably moved on and taken the easy route out of the club, but they worked hard and proved themselves to Hasenhuttl.
It sounds like Boufal had the opportunity to actually make a step up from Saints in the summer, along with a significant pay hike, so it says a lot about his commitment to the cause that he turned down a move.
Plenty of players would have grabbed the chance to claim a straightforward exit, so Boufal definitely deserves praise for his conduct in the summer.
