Southampton sign Boufal for club-record fee

(Reuters) - Southampton have signed attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal from Ligue 1 side Lille on a five-year contract for a club-record fee, the Premier League club said on Monday. The 22-year-old scored 12 goals in 34 appearances for Lille last season, helping the reach the French Cup final and finish fifth in the league table. Financial details of the transfer were undisclosed but British media reported that Southampton paid 21 million pounds to land the Moroccan international. "I'm very, very happy to sign for Southampton and I am really excited to play in St Mary's Stadium in front of the fans," Boufal told the club's website. "Southampton showed big interest in signing me, and I can see that this club is the best place for me to continue my progression as a footballer." Southampton travel to Arsenal in their next Premier League game on Sept.10. (Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)